Oyo – A huge elephant that was sighted in Oke – Ogun area of Oyo State few weeks ago is dead.
The elephant which beli3ved to have journeyed all the way from Benin Republic to Nigeria was said to have died while in custody of the University of Ibadan.
A Facebook user, Adesope Habeeb had shared photos of the elephant some weeks ago.
Many people are alleging the animal was killed for its tusk which could fetch millions of naira.
“On the elephant sighted some days ago while I was in the farm that became viral, Other indigenes across Oyo and Kwara were visiting its location to have a glance of the very peaceful elephant .
“After which a delegation was sent by the Executive Chairman of Saki West Local Government as the host community and the Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan.
“However, the delegation of the Local Government and that of the University of Ibadan led by the Director of the Zoological Garden , Dr Kabeer Popoola went in search of the elephant in the wild yesterday to convey it to the zoo.
“All efforts to capture the elephant alive was successful but the elephant unfortunately died in the custody of the University of Ibadan this morning.
“Could the elephant have been killed because of the ivory tusk?
“What a loss and all my effort to protect the helpless and harmless creature has been rendered futile,” Habeeb said.
In its reaction,
The Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks (NAZAP) expressed regret over the death of the elephant.
In a statement signed by the NAZAP secretary, Dr. Kabir Ali, the association regretted the death of the wild elephant which died after it was evacuated in a bid to prevent it from causing havoc to both farmlands and properties in general.
Ali said that the elephants, numbering three are believed to have wandered from a neighbouring country, alleging that two of the elephants were killed by the natives.
He confirmed that it was in a bid to remove the last elephant from the town to a more secured environment that it died.
“The NAZAP family is rather distraught at the news of the death of the beloved wild elephant at a local government area of Kwara State.
“The attempted rescue by animal lovers was necessitated by the possibility of destruction of life and properties of people in that area, with a high possibility of poaching by hunters.
“There were initially three elephants and two were killed by humans in retaliation for the elephants ransacking their farms.
“This last one was in danger of being killed, hence the attempt to rescue it,” the statement said.
According to Ali, the death of the animal is unfortunate as the team which tried to rescue it meant well and should not be vilified.
Meanwhile, the National President of NAZAP, Dipo Bali, has assured the general public of the association’s readiness to enhance the availability of rescue and reversal drugs that will ensure that future losses are avoided.
He assured that the national animal rescue team will be reconstituted within the next 72 hours. (vitalnews)
