I was recently asked – does Nigeria have wildlife in zoos or in parks?
I responded and said, “we have both in the zoo and in several parks in Nigeria”.
This person marveled at my answer.
Now, you should know that the person who asked me this question is not Nigerian.
He is Rwandan, and if you are familiar with tourism on the African continent, you will know that East Africa is highly visited because of it’s wildlife potential.
Yes, my answer was strange to him since he had never heard Nigeria had such resources.
I then sent him pictures of Adedotun’s work on Instagram, but I felt that was not enough.
If you need to be convinced about Nigeria’s wildlife potential, then you should listen and learn from the experience of someone who has visited quite a number of them in Nigeria.
This is what led me to invite Adedotun as a guest today, among-st other things.
Enjoy the interview.
Wildlife Travel Destinations in Nigeria.
1. Question: Kindly Introduce yourself.
Answer:
My name is Adedotun Ajibade. I am an adventurer, environmentalist and nature photographer.
Picture Copyright Adedotun Ajibade.
I studied Computer Science and I care a great deal about the natural environment.
2. Question: What sparked your love for traveling?
Answer:
Nigeria’s rich biodiversity and wonderful travel destinations feed my wanderlust and inspire my photography.
3. Question: What has been your greatest discovery while exploring Nigeria?
Answer:
Many destinations are actually quite easily accessible if you really make up your mind to be there.
4. Question: Mention the game reserves you have visited and their location in Nigeria.
Answer:
- Yankari Games Reserve, Bauchi state
- Sumu Wildlife Park, Bauchi state
- Omo Forest Reserve, Ogun state
- Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (Drill Ranch), Boki, Cross River state
5. Question: What are the interesting facts about these game reserves?
Answer:
It offers the opportunity of observing unique wildlife uncaged, roaming free in their habitat.
Picture Copyright Adedotun Ajibade. Best period to visit is in the dry season when there are less foliage so that the game is visible, and road tracks are passable for game drives (not muddy or flooded).
6. How easy and safe was it traveling and locating these parks and what form of transportation did you use?
Answer: A friend joined me to explore Yankari Games Reserve & Sumu Wildlife Park. He owns a Land Rover, and that made the trip very convenient. Also, we were able to carry camping gears & equipments. We did a brisk evening safari tour (not ideal if you plan to take good wildlife photos). We also went on guided morning walks with a ranger to see wildlife in selected areas they frequented explored, especially the watering holes. We used the Land Rover to get to designated places, alighted, then explored on foot.
Picture: Giraffes in Sumu Wildlife Park – Copyright Adedotun Ajibade.
The highlight for me:While waiting for a bushbuck to come to drink, I was awed to witness a crocodile emerge from the cold springy to bask in the morning sun. There had been a lot of telltale signs of crocs (belly and tail prints, and scat) from the previous day.
They seemed elusive, I never imagined I’d see any.
Picture: Chimps at Drill Ranch – Copyright Adedotun Ajibade. I went to the Drill Ranch in Boki via public transport. A bus from Calabar to Ikom. Then Ikom to Boki via bike, as there are established cab/bus routes to such a destination due to its remoteness. It’s what makes a wild adventure!
Picture: Male Drill at the Drill Ranch – Copyright Adedotun Ajibade. The Highlight: It was simply awesome seeing the drills and chimpanzees especially.
Omo Forest Reserve:
Picture: Copyright Adedotun Ajibade. I visited this park in a day with a group of friends. I had planned to revisit for photography before the rainy season came, but plans were ruined by the lockdown due to the pandemic. The highlight I hoped for me was a sighting of the forest elephants after a few days of tracking.
7. What animals are present at these game reserves?
Answer:
For Yankari Game Reserves – elephants, hyena, crocodile, porcupine, aardvark, buffalo, hippos, olive baboons, snakes, duikers hart-beasts, bush-bucks, water-bucks, roan antelopes, red patas monkey, lion, leopard, along with over 350 species of birds and more.
Picture: Copyright Adedotun Ajibade.
Picture: Copyright Adedotun Ajibade.
Picture: Copyright Adedotun Ajibade.
For Sumu Wildlife Park – giraffes, elands, plains zebras, wildebeests. (All imported from Namibia).
While Omo Forest Reserve has forest elephants, monkeys, chimpanzees, snakes, birds, etc.
Picture: Copyright Adedotun Ajibade. Drill Ranch has Guenon (only in Nigeria, Cameroon & E. Guinea), Ibadan Malimbe, Anambra waxbill, Jos indigo bird and more.
8. Question: What’s your message to wildlife enthusiasts that are not aware that all these are located in Nigeria?
Answer:
There is a lot to see all around Nigeria. Read more. Dream. Take a step of faith… travel 🙂
Final Thoughts
To find our more of the beauty and the experience Nigeria tourism has to offer, you definitely need to check out Dotun’s Instagram page – @adedotunajibade.
You might just spend 24 hours on his page.
A post shared by Adedotun Ajibade (@adedotunajibade) on
I am in awe of all that he has mentioned as well.
Being that my first wildlife experience was in Kenya followed by Uganda, at the top of my bucket list to explore more of Nigeria’s wildlife destinations.
What do you think?
It is amazing!
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