Monday, April 6, 2009

ABUJA ZOOLOGICAL PARK TO GET FACELIFT


The visit by members of the Joint Tourism Board and other participants led by the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is good omen for the Abuja Zoological Park.

The visit to the eight years old Park, established in 2001 and commissioned by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo is one of the activities lined up for this year’s Joint Tourism Board Meeting of the Tourism sector held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Abuja recently.

Mr. Ahmed Mohammed, the Park Manager who conducted the august visitors round the Park introduced them to the various animals in the Park. Some of the animals include one of the most dangerous animals in the world - Buffalos (from South Africa), Wild Beast which are said to be easy prey for lions (from East Africa), Impala (from Central and Southern Africa) and the fastest and biggest two-legged animal – Ostriches which is said to be capable of running 65 km/hour for 30 minutes non-stop. Others are Giraffe, Horses, Black Crown Crane, Crocodile, Ducks, Monkeys, Baboons and an eighty years old tortoise.

Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Nollywood actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo who revealed that Delta State is planning an open range Zoological Park however expressed dissatisfaction that most of the animals are imported as the Park Manager informed the tourists that while the specie of Giraffe was cited in Adamawa in 1991, the Black Crown Crane is completely extinct as they were last cited in Taraba and Adamawa.

One of the attendants at the Park confessed that the greater challenge they face is security as they have to keep watch day and night to ensure that hunters don’t invade the Park with the intention of hunting the animals.

However, while briefing the journalist after the visit to the Park, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe assured the press that the corporation will take up the challenge of turning the park around soon. “Go to the in park in two months from now and you will be surprise what you will find. I will make it as attractive as it should be. I know what other Parks around the world look like and will definitely give it a touch of excellence. You will say I say so.” He promised.

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