Some conservation experts have decried Nigeria’s elephant population decline, saying the elephant population in Africa’s most populous country has been pushed to the brink of extinction by government neglect, poaching, habitat destruction, and growing human-wildlife conflicts.
The warning was issued during a World Elephant Day media chat organised by Wild Africa and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) as Nigeria joined other countries of the world to mark this year’s World Elephant Day, observed annually on August 12.
Speaking during the media chat participated in by SaharaReporters, wildlife veterinarian and conservationist Dr. Mark Ofua, Wild Africa’s West African representative, recalled that there were large herds of elephants in what is now Delta State and other parts of the country.
Ofua noted that the herds were once so large that travellers had to wait for elephants to cross roads before continuing their journeys.
He lamented that within one generation, the elephants disappeared from the area, saying, “I grew up not seeing any elephants in Delta State. All gone.”
