CONSERVATIONS NIGERIA

Tag: Yankari game reserve

  • Nigeria gets N31 million EU support to fight yellow fever

    Nigeria gets N31 million EU support to fight yellow fever

    The European Union has pledged to assist Nigeria with N31.8 million to combat the outbreak of yellow fever in Katsina and Bauchi States.

    There has been an upsurge of yellow fever cases in the two states with more than 30 death reported since September. Health officials said the outbreak was traced to people who visited the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi.

    The fund is aimed at supporting efforts by the Nigerian government and other donor partners toward rolling back the spread of the disease.

    A statement issued by EU on Thursday explained that the fund will help affected communities, and those most at risk from potential spread of the deadly disease.

    The EU added that affected or risk communities in the two states, will directly benefit from the aid.

    The funding is part of the EU overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

  • NCDC gives details on Yankari yellow fever occurrences

    NCDC gives details on Yankari yellow fever occurrences

    No fewer than seven Nigerians have lost their lives to suspected yellow fever contracted after visiting the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State even as Lassa fever has infected two new persons in Edo State but with no fatality.


    However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) told The Guardian that it could only confirm four cases of Yellow fever in Bauchi but is investigating the deaths. The Centre said that three of the cases of Yellow fever are residents of Alkaleri Local Government Area (LGA) and the fourth case is a tourist who was visiting Kano State and also visited the Yankari Games Reserve in the same LGA in Bauchi State.

    READ ALSO: WCS celebrates four years of zero elephant poaching in Yankari

    Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, explained: “NCDC was first notified on the 29th of August, when we received the report of a confirmed case of Yellow Fever in Kano State from a laboratory in our Yellow Fever laboratory network. Subsequent investigations led by the Kano State Epidemiology Team established that this confirmed case of yellow fever was from a patient who visited the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi, in August 2019 with his father. Unfortunately, the father died with similar symptoms before a sample could be collected and tested.

    “Subsequently, on the 3rd of September 2019, the Borno State Epidemiology Team reported deaths among students of Waka College of Education in Biu LGA Borno State. These students visited the Yankari Game Resort in August 2019. Of the 95 students that visited the resort, eight of them developed symptoms and six had died as at the time of the report. The others are in a stable condition. Samples from these cases are being tested.

    READ ALSO: Two arrested with fresh buffalo head in Yankari

    “Intensification of surveillance activities has led to the identification of three more confirmed cases who are all resident in Alkaleri LGA, of Bauchi state. Altogether, we can confirm four cases of yellow fever in people that either live or have visited Bauchi in the last one month.”

    The epidemiologist said since the Centre was notified, the NCDC has collaborated with the State epidemiologists of the affected States and the World Health Organisation (WHO) country office to investigate these events. We have also deployed a rapid response team to support Bauchi State to carry out further in-depth investigations, including case finding, risk communications, and support the management of cases. He said samples of the other suspected cases from Bauchi and Borno states are currently being transported to the NCDC National Reference Laboratory in Abuja for further testing.

    “Today, we activated our Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate the response to this outbreak,” Ihekweazu said. The epidemiologist said Yellow Fever virus is spread through bites of an infected mosquito and there is no human-to-human transmission of the virus. He said Yellow fever is a completely vaccine preventable disease and a single shot of the yellow fever vaccine protects for a lifetime and the yellow fever vaccine is available for free in all primary healthcare centres in Nigeria as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule. Ihekweazu encourages every family to ensure that children receive all their childhood vaccines. He said: “In addition to the vaccine, the public is advised to keep their environments clean and free of stagnant water to discourage the breeding of mosquitoes and ensure the consistent use of insecticide treated mosquito nets, screens on windows and doors to prevent access for mosquitoes. Especially, hikers, park visitors and people engaged with activities in the wild are encouraged to be vaccinated against yellow fever. It is important to avoid self-medication- visit a health facility immediately if you feel ill.”

    The epidemiologist said a multi-agency Yellow Fever technical working group coordinated by NCDC, has been leading the preparedness and response to yellow fever in Nigeria. He said the NPHCDA is leading efforts to provide an additional opportunity of vaccination through preventive vaccination campaigns across the country.

    Iheakweazu reminded healthcare workers and members of the public that the symptoms of yellow fever include yellowness of the eyes, sudden fever, headache and body pain. “If you have these symptoms or notice someone in your community displaying them, please contact your nearest primary healthcare centre,” he said.

    Also, the latest weekly epidemiology report on Lassa fever, published over the weekend by the NCDC, noted: “In the reporting week 33 (12th – 18th August, 2019) two new confirmed cases were reported from Edo state, no new death. From 1st January to 18th August, 2019, a total of 3466 suspectedi cases have been reported from 22 states. Of these, 658 were confirmed positive, 18 probable and 2790 negative (not a case).Since the onset of the 2019 outbreak, there have been 145 deaths in confirmed cases. Case fatality ratio in confirmed cases is 22.0 per cent.”

    The NCDC said 22 States (Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi, Cross River and Zamfara) have recorded at least one confirmed case across 83 Local Government Areas.

    According to the NCDC, 93 per cent of all confirmed cases are from Edo (37 per cent), Ondo (30 per cent), Ebonyi (eight per cent), Bauchi (seven per cent), Taraba (six per cent) and Plateau (five per cent) states; and the predominant age-group affected is 21-40 years.

    In the reporting week 33, no new health care worker was affected and a total of eighteen health care workers have been infected since the onset of the outbreak in ten States – Edo (six), Ondo (four), Ebonyi (one), Enugu (one), Rivers (one), Bauchi (one), Benue (one), Delta (one), Plateau (one) and Kebbi (one) with two deaths in Enugu and Edo States.

    The NCDC noted that 10 patients are currently being managed at various treatment centres across the country: Six at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) treatment Centre, Edo State; three at Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State; and one at Bauchi.

    According to the NCDC, suspected case describes any individual presenting with one or more of the following: malaise, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, myalgia, chest pain, hearing loss and either: a history of contact with excreta or urine of rodents, history of contact with a probable or confirmed Lassa fever case within a period of 21 days of onset of symptoms; or any person with inexplicable bleeding/haemorrhagia.

  • APLORI trains young scientists on field ornithology, biostatistics, others

    APLORI trains young scientists on field ornithology, biostatistics, others

    Promoting citizen science is a rising global trend aimed at bridging the gap in environmental conservation. It is with this objective that the A. P Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) through the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (NiBAP) organised a one month Introductory Ornithology course in both Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi state and Leventis farms, Weppa, Agenebode, Edo state.

    This training was funded by National Geographic Society Grants, a total of 30 scientists (15 in Yankari and 15 in Weppa) from different parts of the country were trained in Field Ornithology, Introductory biostatistics (R statistical package), data collection and General Ecology.

    The 26-day-training held in July was facilitated by professionals in the field from different parts of the country. Trainees carried out mini projects as a first-hand practice of all they had learnt during the course.

    The expected outcome for the participants was a replication of these experiences in their local communities and this has been achieved with records of Bird clubs springing up across the nation in the last month.

    These efforts are also contributing to the Nigerian Bird Atlas data which is a long-term project aimed at monitoring bird population in Nigeria.

  • WCS celebrates four years of zero elephant poaching in Yankari

    WCS celebrates four years of zero elephant poaching in Yankari

    Yankari Game Reserve, home to Nigeria’s largest remaining elephant population, has experienced zero poaching in the last four years, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has reported.

    The announcement was made just days before officials gather for the meeting of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The success underscores the importance of tightening up the closure of importing countries’ domestic ivory markets, along with vigilant anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts.

    WCS, which helps manage the protected area, attributes the success to well-managed, well-equipped and highly trained rangers who patrol the 866 square miles (2,244 square kilometers) reserve, which also supports important populations of lion, buffalo, hippo, roan and hartebeest.

    READ ALSO: World Rangers Day 2019 in Omo

    Yankari’s elephant population remains stable at 100-150 individuals, and is expected to grow in the coming years if conservationists remain steadfast in keeping poachers out of the reserve. As recently as 2006 there were as many as 350 elephants in Yankari, but a period of heavy poaching from 2006 to 2014 reduced their numbers dramatically. Since 2014 Yankari has been managed through a co-management agreement between Bauchi State Government and WCS.

    Yankari’s elephant population remains stable at 100-150 individuals
    photo: WCS Nigeria

    Elephants are critically endangered in Nigeria, with the Yankari elephants being the only savanna elephants remaining in the country. Some forest elephants also still remain in low numbers in the forested south including Cross River National Park area (where WCS is also working to secure forest elephants and the Cross River Gorilla). Historically the Yankari savanna elephants may have been ecologically connected with the Sambisa area (impacted by Boko Haram) and perhaps also Gashaka Gumti National Park and neighboring areas of Cameroon. This is a core critical area for elephant conservation in the Sudano-Sahel Region.

    READ ALSO: Ogun elephant video: No one was injured, says expert

    Originally created as a game reserve in 1956, Yankari was upgraded to a national park in 1991. It was managed by the National Parks Service until 2006 when responsibility for the management of the reserve was handed back to Bauchi State Government. Since then tourism infrastructure has been dramatically improved. Yankari is now one of the most popular tourism destinations in Nigeria.

    “Rangers are the key to stopping poaching in protected areas” said Andrew Dunn,WCS Nigeria Program Director “Yankari is an amazing success story and shows the world that with targeted use of limited funds, and government commitment, progress can still be made provided that rangers are properly trained and supervised.”

    Rangers are the key to stopping poaching in protected areas
    photo: Natalie Ingel/WCS Nigeria
     

    Dunn attributes the success in the reserve to several factors. The leadership of Nachamada Geoffrey, Director of the Yankari Landscape for WCS, directs efforts to ensure a zero tolerance policy for corruption coupled with making sure all rangers are well-equipped in the field and trained with regular refresher courses. SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Supporting Tool) together with real time radio communications is used help guide and monitor the rangers and optimize their impact.WCS supplements rangers’ incomes with additional monies per night as an incentive whenever they are on a long-distance foot patrol.

    Nachamada Geoffrey stated, “Solid logistical support (food rations), equipment, and motivation through regular salary payments support our ranger operations day in and day out. Most of the rangers are recruited from the local community and are highly motivated to protect the wildlife of Yankari.”

    David Adejo Andrew of Nigeria’s Federal Department of Forestry and Federal Ministry of Environment also commended WCS’s efforts.

    “The efforts of the WCS in conserving the largest pool of elephant populations at the Yankari Game Reserve has given Nigeria a good platform for conserving other Elephant population in the country. This has encouraged the Nigerian Government to work with the WCS to translate this success stories to other areas,” he said.

    The future outlook

    Of course in the long-term Yankari will only survive if it has the support of the surrounding communities. Yankari is one of the main sources of employment locally, including both rangers, hotel staff and elephant guardians. WCS is also working with local schools to help develop future conservation leaders. In addition, WCS has helped establish an informant network among the communities surrounding the reserve that provides critical information on poachers.

    Building on this foundation and work ethic, significantly more resources are urgently needed to fully establish the Reserves full management systems and effectiveness.

    WCS’s conservation efforts within Yankari are supported by the Bauchi State Government, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Embassy of France in Nigeria, Australian High Commission in Nigeria, Tusk Trust, the North Carolina Zoological Society, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, CITES-MIKE, the UNEP African Elephant Fund, the A.P. Leventis Conservation Foundation, the Lion Recovery Fund—an initiative of the Wildlife Conservation Network in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, and the Elephant Crisis Fund—a joint initiative between Save The Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.