At least 80 percent of the animals at Maiduguri Zoo, also known as Sanda Kyarimi Zoo Park, have died due to recent floods in Borno State.
Ali Abatcha, the General Manager of the zoo, reported that while 80 percent of the animals perished in the flood, some have managed to escape into the city.
He did not provide the exact number of animals that were housed at the zoo before the flooding.
A report from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated that the floodwaters have caused some wild animals, including crocodiles and snakes, to escape from their enclosures.
The flooding has affected over 40 percent of Maiduguri, a city with an estimated population of over 870,000, including the Muna and Jere IDP camps, which together house approximately 230,000 people.
On Tuesday, reports emerged of animals from the zoo, including snakes and crocodiles, being spotted in town. While there were reports of a lion escaping, its current location remains unknown.
The Federal Government has initiated the evacuation of residents from the flood-affected areas.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that it is working to provide food, shelter, and medical assistance to flood victims.
The severe flooding in Maiduguri, Borno State, which began last weekend and worsened in the early hours of Monday, September 9, 2024, was caused by excess water from the Alau Dam.
The collapse of one of the dam’s spillways led to a significant increase in water flow downstream, intensifying the flooding in nearby areas.
As a result, NEMA noted that the Borno State Government has opened Bakassi Camp to shelter those displaced by the flood.