Lions have been lost from a huge area in Africa. Already extinct in 26 countries in Africa, there are perhaps as few as 15,000 lions left. Furthermore, most of these...
Nigeria
Nigeria is a huge country, and with a wealth of biodiversity. Rapid development has put much of this on the brink of extinction, but for many of the species it is not too late.
Eco-tourism, carefully laid out, and benefiting people living around the wilderness that remains is likely to have a big impact. This vast country currently has 8 national parks, and while they are often not doing great at the moment, I still have high hopes that in the future the countries wildlife will be given space to recover and then thrive. There are still 290 mammals living within the country.
The country still has savannah ecosystems containing Lion (Kainji Lake National Park and Yankari Game Reserve are the only possible places, with around 50 remaining – these are Asiatic lions (western and central African lions are part of the Asiatic subspecies), leopards, mongooses, hyenas, side-striped jackals, African elephants, African buffaloes, rhinoceroses, antelopes, waterbuck, giraffes, warthogs, red river hogs, hippopotamuses, pangolins, aardvarks, western tree hyraxes, bushbabies,
The country also has a large area of rainforest (roughly 10% of the country) and while this is often degraded, there are many primates that still cling to existence in these areas, including 2 subspecies of Chimpanzee- common chimpanzee safe in general and the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee with only 6500 left, all north of the Sanaga River (1400-2300 of these live in Nigeria), and 2 subspecies of gorilla-. the western Gorilla with an unknown number remaining and the Cross-river gorilla which is a subspecies that only has around 300 shared with Cameroon, an estimated 100 in Nigeria. They also have a baboon and 2 species of drill, along with a wide range of bushbabies pottos monkeys and guenons. Indeed there are 30 species of primate within Nigeria, making it one of the most important for primates outside the big 4 (Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the DRC) which house 60% of the primate species on earth.
There are African manatees in Nigerian waters, and the coast sees a wide variety of whale and dolphin species
All in all, Nigeria is a fascinating country to visit, but particularly from its wildlife point of view. If it were to become an eco-tourism hotspot, it is likely to help us save many species within this large country.
Nigeria Sightings board
Nigeria Regions
Nigeria Future destinations
Chad basin national park is a reserve extending into Cameroon, Niger and Chad, the full ecosystem is an important area in Africa, click here or on the image to read more about this national park and the Nigerian section
The cross river national park borders Korup National Park in Cameroon. Click here or on the image to read more                                             Â
Gashaka Gumpti national park is an area of Nigeria. Click here or on the image to read more                                                                                    Â
Kainji national park is an important national park, with around 30 Click here on the image to read more                                                   Â
Kamuka national park is bordered by Kwiambana Game Reserve and these two areas protect this area. Click here or on the image to read more
Okomu national park protects an area of rainforest, and has been recognized as needing protecting for some time, as a sanctuary before reserve. Click here or on othe image to read more
Old oyo gets its name from 2 forest reserves that existed before the national park was created. Click here or on the image to read more
Yankara reserve is one of the most popular protected area in Nigeria. It lost its national park status in 2005 Click here or on the image to read more
Nigeria News
A tiny reserve in Nigeria has been shown to be full of wildlife
Afi mountain wildlife Sanctuary is tiny, covering only 38.6 square miles, yet analysis has shown that this reserve has a whole host of wildlife.
West african Lion spotted in a reserve in Chad that has not recorded one since 2004
A lioness has been spotted in a reserve in Chad, which has not recorded one since 2004!
Corona-virus threat to primate species
Humans have pushed the majority of wild primates into small spaces, where the total population might number only a thousand or far less.
