A Non-Governmental Organisation, WildAid, has raised the alarm over the extinction of Lions in Nigeria due to poaching.
In a press statement by the organization yesterday, they called on Nigerians to protect the iconic species as the world celebrates World Lion Day, a special moment dedicated to celebrating one of the world’s most beautiful, fearsome and iconic species.
According to the group, over the last 50 years, the number of wild lions across Africa has plummeted from 200,000 to roughly 20,000, saying the crisis is most acute in West Africa, where there are only about 400 lions left, surviving in a few small, isolated clusters.
In Nigeria, lions are on the verge of extinction, with scientists estimating that there may be fewer than 50 adult lions left in the wild.
In the past, lions roamed northern Nigeria in large numbers, primarily residing in the Kainji Lake National Park and the Yankari Game Reserve in northern Nigeria.
“Hunting for bushmeat has seriously depleted lions’ natural prey base, while population growth and the expansion of agricultural land has badly eaten into their habitats,” said Simon Denyer, senior Africa representative for WildAid.
He continued, “Lions in Nigeria and across West Africa need urgent help to prevent them from disappearing forever.
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