By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks (NAZAP) has kicked against the wildlife exhibits from the Imo State Zoo at Nekede to the Jos Wildlife Park in Plateau State.
In a statement, the group argued that relevant professional stakeholders, especially the federal agencies that superintend wildlife, were not carried along in the Imo zoo wildlife translocation.
NAZAP added that for an action of this magnitude, the state government should have widely engaged stakeholders for professional input.
It alleged that there were clear indicators that the Jos Wildlife Park has major maintenance deficits as to make the facility unsuitable to receive a such a large number of wildlife, along with necessary quarantine procedures for the containment of the possible spread of wildlife disease and genetic pollution.
“NAZAP, therefore, stands in absolute condemnation of this move of translocating the zoo’s wildlife without due diligence.
“NAZAP is in urgent consultation with all concerned for necessary damage control as some of the animals could die in transit or upon arrival in Jos,” a part of the statement obtained by Business Post noted.
To buttress its point, the association disclosed that one of the three Leo Pantheras is dead.
“This is an endangered specie rapidly losing numbers in Nigeria. This will not be taken lightly by all quarters,” it declared.
The group hinted that this might have been caused by the movement of the animal.
“Nothing short of distress to the animals will result from this translocation, in addition to other mounting logistical and technical problems,” the statement said.
NAZAP described the Imo State zoo as one of the thriving zoos in Nigeria until recent years when the state government became derelict in its responsibilities to the zoo.
However, the organisation assured the conservation community of its commitment to seeing to the protection of animals from abuse, promising to provide further updates on this matter.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Adedapo Adesanya