From Godwin Agia, in Jalingo
The Conservator of Parks at Gashaka Gumti National Park in Taraba State, Joseph Ntui has revealed that lions, hippos, and cheetahs are feared to be locally extinct, as they haven’t been sighted for several years due to human activities.
Ntui made this known at the weekend during a media tour of the park organized by Africa Nature Investors (ANI), a non-governmental organization focused on conservation and climate change mitigation.
According to Ntui, Gashaka Gumti national park remains Nigeria’s largest, most scenic, and biodiverse national park, home to a wide variety of birds, fish, butterflies, mammals, plants, and other unique species.
This biodiversity according to the conservator makes the park a living laboratory for research and experimentation.
He however, said the apparent disappearance of certain wildlife may be due to poaching, illegal hunting, and encroachment from farming activities, forcing these animals to flee their natural habitat.
“We used to have cheetahs and lions here, but they haven’t been sighted in a long time, even with enhanced surveillance.
“The last time we saw a hippopotamus at the Hippo Pool was five years ago. Sadly, we now believe these species may be locally extinct,” Ntui said.
He emphasized that conservation in Nigeria faces challenges, largely due to a lack of awareness about its importance, adding that “Many people still don’t understand the critical need for conservation.
“They view the park as a place that has been taken over and restricted for the benefit of a few, which makes our job even harder.
“Human activities like hunting, poaching, farming, and illegal grazing continue to threaten wildlife. Poachers hunt animals for meat, farmers try to encroach on the park, and herders insist on grazing their cattle on parkland.
“The herders often claim that the grass within the park is more palatable than what they find outside. These activities drive animals away from their natural habitat,” he said.
He commended ANI for their support which he said has significantly improved the park’s operations. “ANI has partnered with the park service, providing both financial and technical assistance. Thanks to their support, we now have better training for rangers, more patrol vehicles, canoes, and even a helicopter,” he said.
Ntui noted that the introduction of the helicopter was a game-changer as the helicopter now help them to quickly deploy rangers to patrol locations, which has improved efficiency and effectiveness in park management.
The CP expressed optimism that, with the right partnerships and continued efforts, Gashaka Gumti National Park will achieve global recognition and better conservation outcomes.
