I thought I could name most of the places in Nigeria where you can see wildlife. I could not.
There are actually quite a number of zoos, wildlife parks, zoological gardens and nature destinations spread across the country.
Some of the ones you can find includes
University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, Oyo State
Ogba Zoo and Nature Park, Edo State
Kano Zoological and Botanical Garden, Kano State
Jos Wildlife Park, Plateau State
National Children’s Park and Zoo, Abuja
Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo, Borno State
Port Harcourt Zoo, Rivers State
FUNAAB Zoological Park, Ogun State
FUTA Wildlife Park, Ondo State
OAU Biological Gardens, Osun State
Q Brat Zoos and Gardens, Lagos State
Omu Resort Zoo, Lagos State
Obudu Mountain Resort, Cross River State
And these are only some of the places that have been documented. They are not all the same, either.
Some are zoological gardens created for education and scientific research.
Some are wildlife parks.
Some combine wildlife with recreation.
Some are connected to universities.
And places like Obudu are more about the mountain environment, nature and tourism, with wildlife forming part of the broader ecosystem.
The University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, for example, began in 1948 as a small collection of animals created to support teaching and research. It later developed into a full zoological garden.
Obudu is a completely different kind of experience. The former Obudu Cattle Ranch, now Obudu Mountain Resort, sits in the mountains of Cross River State and is surrounded by a rich natural environment where wildlife and tourism meet.
So when we talk about discovering wildlife in Nigeria, it does not have to mean walking around a zoo.
It could mean visiting a zoological garden.
Exploring a wildlife park.
Learning about animals at a university research facility.
Or experiencing a natural environment where wildlife exists as part of the ecosystem.
And that is what makes it interesting.
There are so many places across Nigeria where nature, wildlife, research, tourism and conservation come together.
How many of these places have you actually visited?
And which one did you not even know existed?
