WildLife Dome

09/03/2025

The zoo system in Nigeria, like in many countries, faces several challenges that affect its functionality, sustainability, and contribution to wildlife conservation and education. Here are some key problems and possible solutions to improve the system for the future:

Problems Facing the Zoo System in Nigeria

1. Poor Infrastructure and Facilities: Many of Nigeria's zoos suffer from inadequate infrastructure, such as poorly designed enclosures, outdated or insufficient medical facilities, and lack of proper animal care. The enclosures may not adequately replicate natural habitats, leading to stress or poor health for the animals.

2. Underfunding and Lack of Resources: Zoos in Nigeria often face financial constraints that limit their ability to provide proper care for animals, maintain infrastructure, or carry out conservation programs. This underfunding often leads to overcrowded conditions and insufficient staff training.

3. Lack of Expertise and Professional Training: There is a shortage of trained professionals, including veterinarians, zookeepers, and wildlife biologists, to properly care for the animals and manage the zoo. This lack of expertise can lead to improper care, neglect, and poor animal welfare.

4. Poor Animal Welfare: Many zoos struggle to meet international animal welfare standards. Animals may experience poor nutrition, inadequate medical care, and confinement in conditions that do not allow them to exhibit natural behaviors.

5. Wildlife Conservation Challenges: Zoos should ideally serve as centers for conservation, breeding endangered species, and educating the public about biodiversity. Unfortunately, many Nigerian zoos do not have strong conservation programs and often focus more on entertainment than on education or species preservation.

6. Lack of Public Awareness and Engagement: There is often a lack of awareness among the general public about the importance of zoos in wildlife conservation. People may visit zoos primarily for recreation, without understanding the broader role zoos play in education and conservation.

7. Poor Animal Breeding Programs: Effective breeding programs for endangered species are crucial for conservation, but many zoos in Nigeria do not have the necessary expertise or resources to run such programs successfully.

Solutions to Improve Nigeria's Zoo System

1. Invest in Infrastructure Development: The Nigerian government and private stakeholders need to invest in modernizing zoo infrastructure. This includes upgrading animal enclosures to better mimic natural habitats, improving veterinary care facilities, and ensuring that the zoos are clean, safe, and accessible.

2. Increased Funding and Support: A sustainable funding model is necessary to ensure zoos can provide proper care for animals and run conservation programs. Governments could allocate more resources to zoos, while private sector partnerships and donations from philanthropists could also help. Also, introducing eco-tourism can generate revenue for zoos while promoting conservation awareness.

3. Professional Training and Capacity Building: To ensure that animals are properly cared for, the Nigerian zoo system needs to focus on training zookeepers, veterinarians, and conservationists. Training programs, both local and international, should be established to equip staff with the necessary skills for animal care, breeding, and management.

4. Animal Welfare Standards: Zoos should adhere to internationally recognized animal welfare standards. This means providing proper nutrition, medical care, enrichment activities, and space for animals to exhibit natural behaviors. Regular welfare audits by independent organizations can help ensure that zoos meet these standards.

5. Focus on Conservation and Education: Zoos need to shift focus from mere entertainment to become centers of conservation, research, and education. More emphasis should be placed on breeding endangered species and educating the public on biodiversity and the importance of wildlife preservation.

6. Public Awareness Campaigns: There should be more effort to educate the public on the importance of wildlife conservation and the role zoos play in preserving endangered species. Engaging schools, universities, and communities through workshops, campaigns, and educational outreach programs can help change perceptions about zoos.

7. Strengthen Laws and Regulations: The government should introduce stronger regulations governing the operation of zoos, ensuring that they meet the minimum standards for animal care and conservation efforts. Regular inspections by relevant authorities could ensure compliance.

8. Partnerships with International Conservation Organizations: Collaborating with international wildlife organizations, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) or the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), could bring technical expertise, funding, and global best practices to Nigerian zoos.

9. Promote Eco-Tourism and Sustainable Practices: Eco-tourism can generate revenue while raising awareness about conservation. By promoting wildlife-friendly tourism, Nigeria can encourage visits to well-managed zoos, where people learn about the importance of preserving wildlife and natural habitats.

To address the problems facing the zoo system in Nigeria, it is essential to focus on building better infrastructure, improving funding and training, and ensuring high animal welfare standards. With a shift towards conservation and education, supported by public engagement and partnerships, Nigerian zoos can play a crucial role in preserving wildlife and educating the public. Through coordinated efforts from both the government and the private sector, meaningful change can be achieved, transforming zoos into valuable conservation and educational assets for the country.

02/03/2024

King of the jungle for a reason

02/03/2024

02/03/2024

Future billionaires will like this picture

21/12/2023

Facts

19/12/2023

Giant Lord's of Emotions and Empathy _ Elephants

19/12/2023

When it comes to height _ Giraffes

The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genusGiraffa. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminanton Earth. Giraffes are the tallest mammals on Earth . Their legs alone are tallerthan many humans—about 6 feet. They can run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances, or cruise at 10 mph over longer distances.

Giraffes are well adapted for living on the open, tree-dotted Africanplains. While other African herbivores compete for grass and small plants to eat, giraffes have the high branches with tender, young leaves all to themselves. It takes a lot of leaves to fuel such large creatures. Giraffes grow to nearly their full height by four years of age but gain weight until they are seven or eight. Males weigh up to 1,930 kg (4,250 pounds), females up to 1,180 kg (2,600 pounds). The tail may be a metre in length and has a long black tuft on the end; there is also a short black mane. Both sexes have a pair of horns, though males possess other bony protuberances on the skull . The back slopes downward to the hindquarters, a silhouette explained mainly by large muscles that support the neck; these muscles are attached to long spines on the vertebrae of the upper back. There are only seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, but they are elongated. Thick-walled arteries in the neck have extra valves to counteract gravity when the head is up; when the giraffe lowers its head to the ground, special vessels at the base of the brain control blood pressure.

The gait of the giraffe is a pace (both legs on one side move together). In a gallop, it pushes off with the hind legs, and the front legs come down almost together, but no two hooves touch the ground at the same time. The neck flexes so that balance is maintained. Speeds of 50 km (31 miles) per hour can be maintained for several kilometres, but 60 km (37 miles) per hour can be attained over short distances. Arabs say of a good horse that it can “outpace a giraffe.”

Giraffes live in nonterritorial groups of up to 20. Home ranges are as small as 85 square km (33 square miles) in wetter areas but up to 1,500 square km (580 square miles) in dry regions. The animals are gregarious , a behaviour that apparently allows for increased vigilance against predators. They have excellent eyesight, and when one giraffe stares, for example, at a lion a kilometre away, the others look in that direction too. Giraffes live up to 26 years in the wild and slightly longer in captivity.
Giraffes prefer to eat new shoots and leaves, mainly from the thorny acacia tree. Cows in particular select high-energy low-fibre items. They are prodigious eaters, and a large male consumes about 65 kg (145 pounds) of food per day. The tongue and inside of the mouth are coated with tough tissue as protection. The giraffe grasps leaves with its prehensile lips or tongue and pulls them into the mouth. If the foliage is not thorny, the giraffe “combs” leaves from the stem by pulling it across the lower canine and incisor teeth. Giraffes obtain most water from their food, though in the dry season they drink at least every three days. They must spread the forelegs apart in order to reach the ground with the head.

Females first breed at four or five years of age. Gestation is 15 months, and, though most calves are born in dry months in some areas, births can take place in any month of the year. The single offspring is about 2 metres (6feet) tall and weighs 100 kg (220 pounds). For a week the mother licks and nuzzles her calf in isolation while they learn each other’s scent. Thereafter, the calf joins a “nursery group” of similar-aged youngsters, while mothers forage at variable distances. If lions or hyenas attack, a mother sometimes stands over her calf, kicking at the predators with front and back legs. Cows have food and water requirements that may keep them away from the nursery group for hours at a time, and about half of very young calves are killed by lions and hyenas. Calves sample vegetation at three weeks but suckle for 18–22 months. Males join other bachelors when one to two years old, whereas daughters are likely to stay near the mother.

Habitat: Giraffes use both semi-arid savannah and savannah woodlands in Africa. Range: Giraffes are found in fragmented habitats scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa.



Credits
Lawrence Michael Omeiza

19/12/2023

The wild boar, also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. Boar (Sus scrofa). boar, any of the wild members of the pig species Sus scrofa, family Suidae. The term boar is also used to designate the male of the domestic pig, guinea pig, and various other mammals.The term wild boar, or wild pig, is sometimes used to refer to any wild member of the Sus genus. A wild boar is a large fierce pig which has two long curved teeth and a hairy body, and lives in forests. _ Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Wild boar are built like domestic pigs, with bulky, thick-set bodies, long, mobile, cartilaginous snouts, black hooves, and medium-length tails. It is very important that you note that a boar is a non- castrated male swine. A hog can be either male or female. The only stipulation is that hogs are older and, typically, huge
in size. A juvenile pig is generally called a piglet.

The Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa. The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform. It has been assessed as the least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to a diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. The Wild boar has a long history of association with humans, having been the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia.

It will interest you to also know that wild boars main diet consists of roots, fallen fruits, nuts and acorns. The boar also feeds on small animals (larvae, snakes, birds, rodents, etc.) and carrion. The coloration of the wild boar varies from a dark gray to brown or black. Wild boars are strong animals that can run relatively fast. The canines in adult males can inflict serious injuries in case of an attack.

Preferred types of habitat are grassy savanna areas, wooded forests, agricultural areas, shrublands, and marshy swamplands. Overall, Wild boars live in areas with a constant source of water and dense vegetative cover to serve them as a refuge from predators.

They are nocturnal, omnivores, terrestrial, cosmopolitan, viviparous, burrowing, social, herding, not a migrants, and of course wild.

As a nocturnal mammal, the Wild boar is active during the night, when it leaves its shelter to find food. This animal spends as much as 12 hours per day sleeping in a nest, constructed out of leaves. Females of this species exhibit social behavior, forming so-called "sounders" - loosely organized groups of 6-30 individuals. Each of these units is composed of breeding females and their offspring. Two or more groups may occasionally share the same area without mixing with each other. Male Wild boars tend to lead solitary life during most of the year. They socialize only in the reproductive season, during which they frequently occur near sounders as well as territories of other breeding males. The communication system of these animals includes vocalizations such as growls, which express aggression. They also use squealing calls, typically when excited or to display a friendly attitude.

LIFESTYLE
Terrestrial, Precocial, Cosmopolitan, Viviparous, Burrowing

SEASONAL BEHAVIOR
Not a migrant

Diet and Nutrition
As an omnivorous species, the Wild boar consumes food of both plant and animal origin. The diet of these mammals is generally composed of plants such as crops, fruits, nuts (mast), roots, and green plants, supplemented with bird eggs, carrion, small rodents, insects, and worms. Additionally, the Wild boar has been known to hunt on livestock such as small calves or lambs.

DIET Omnivore

Mating Habits
MATING BEHAVIOR Polygyny
REPRODUCTION SEASON year-round
PREGNANCY DURATION 108-120 days
BABY CARRYING 4-6 piglets
INDEPENDENT AGE 7 months
FEMALE NAME sow
MALE NAME boar
BABY NAME piglet, farrow

Wild boars exhibit a polygynous mating system, where each breeding male defends its mating rights. The winning male will mate with the females in a sounder. Breeding occurs year-round. The gestation period lasts for 108-120 days, yielding a litter of 4-6 piglets. Young are born in a nest, located among dense vegetation and constructed out of leaves, grass, and moss. During the first 2 weeks, the female is almost constantly with her young to protect them from potential predators. At about 2 months of age, young boars start coming out of the nest to feed. Independence is reached within 7 months. Male Wild boars are ready to breed at 2 years old, whereas females are reproductively mature at 1 year of age.

19/12/2023

I call them the "we no go gree squad " Skunks

Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their a**l glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have warning. While related to polecats and other members of the weasel family, skunks have as their closest relatives the Old World stink badgers.

Skunk species vary in size from about 15.6 to 37 in (40 to 94 cm) long and in weight from about 1.1 lb (0.50 kg) (spotted skunks) to 18 lb (8.2 kg) (hog-nosed skunks). They have moderately elongated bodies with relatively short, well-muscled legs and long front claws for digging. They have five toes on each foot.

Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey and a few are cream-colored. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across the back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk).

Skunks are crepuscular and solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range, they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day they shelter in burrows, which they can dig with their powerful front claws. For most of the year the normal home range for skunks is 0.5 to 2 miles (1 to 3 km) in diameter, with males expanding during breeding season to travel 4 to 5 miles (6 to 8 km) per night.

Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used.

Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about 3 m (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with an average of six years. In captivity, they may live for up to 10 years.

Skunks mate in early spring and are polygynous (that is, successful males are uninhibited from mating with additional females.)

Before giving birth (usually in May), the female excavates a den to house her litter of four to seven kits.

Skunks are placental, with a gestation period of about 66 days.

When born, skunk kits are blind and deaf, but already covered by a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, they first open their eyes; the kits are weaned about two months after birth. They generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, roughly at one year of age.

The mother is protective of her kits, spraying at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young.

Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diets as the seasons change. They eat insects, larvae, earthworms, grubs, rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi and nuts.

In settled areas, skunks also seek garbage left by humans. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating bird and rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms.

Skunks use their long claws to break apart rotting logs to find insects that live within them. They also use those claws to help dig for insects, which leaves behind pits, which are easy signs of foraging. The claws also help with pinning down live and active prey.

Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this behavior to their young.

Skunks are notorious for their a**l scent glands, which they can use as a defensive weapon. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the family Mustelidae. Skunks have two glands, one on each side of the a**s. These glands produce the skunk's spray, which is a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals such as thiols(traditionally called mercaptans), which have an offensive odor. The thiols also make their spray highly flammable. A skunk's spray is powerful enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers.

19/12/2023

Facts about hyenas
The meaning of HYENA is any of several large strong nocturnal carnivorous Old World mammals (family Hyaenidae) that usually feed as scavengers. A hyena is an animal that looks rather like a dog and makes a sound which is similar to a human laugh. Hyenas live in Africa and Asia. There are three hyena species — spotted, brown, and striped. These barbarians of the wild; these hijacking, scavenging, and laughing brutes are one of thethe wild apex predictors that is not foreign to their competitors; lions, leopards, wild dogs, and other wild carnivores all have ageless rivalries with these brutal clowns due to their nature and mode of operandi. This unforgiving merciless brutes, can take down any herbivore, and devour their carcass in minutes; and do not go down without a fight when challenging competitors arouse their survival instincts. Spotted hyenas have good hearing and sharp eyesight at night. They are fast and can run for long distances without tiring. Packs work together to protect and hunt. There is no room for weakness in the hyenas clan.

These stand up comedians laughs their victims to a gruesome death by devour. They are capable of eating their victims alive and are not concerned with any natural laws that coded carnivore operate by. You will not find them funny when they are on your trail.

Although phylogenetically closer to felines andviverrids, hyenas are behaviourally andmorphologically similar to canids in several elements due to convergent evolution: both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorialhunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws. Both eat food quickly and may store it, and their calloused feet with large, blunt, nonretractable claws are adapted for running and making sharp turns. However, hyenas' grooming, scent marking, defecation habits, mating and parental behavior are consistent with the behavior of other feliforms.

Hyenas feature prominently in the folklore and mythology of human cultures that live alongside them. Hyenas are commonly viewed as frightening and worthy of contempt. In some cultures, hyenas are thought to influence people's spirits, rob graves, and steal livestock and children. Other cultures associate them with witchcraft, using their body parts intraditional medicine.

History tells us on how Hyenas originated in the jungles of MioceneEurasia 22 million years ago, when most early feliform species were still largely arboreal. The first ancestral hyenas were likely similar to the modern African civet; one of the earliest hyena species described, Plioviverrops, was a lithe, civet-like animal that inhabited Eurasia 20–22 million years ago, and is identifiable as a hyaenid by the structure of the middle ear and dentition. The lineage of Plioviverropsprospered, and gave rise to descendants with longer legs and more pointed jaws, a direction similar to that taken by canids in North America.[7] Hyenas then diversified into two distinct types: lightly built dog-like hyenas and robust bone-crushing hyenas. Although the dog-like hyenas thrived 15 million years ago (with one taxon having colonised North America), they became extinct after a change in climate, along with the arrival of canids into Eurasia. Of the dog-like hyena lineage, only the insectivorous aardwolf survived, while the bone-crushing hyenas (including the extantspotted, brown and striped hyenas) became the undisputed top scavengers of Eurasia and Africa.



Credits: Lawrence Michael Omeiza

16/12/2023

10 CUTE DOGS BREED THAT YOU’LL WISH YOU COULD CUDDLE EVERY TIME

Dogs are known as “man’s best friend” and they come in various breeds with each of these breeds having what makes it stand out from the others. From small breeds to gigantic breeds, the world of dogs is filled with cute dogs breeds. Here, we will explore the world of these dogs and get to learn about them.

There are several types of these breeds of dogs and we have listed them below in no particular order.

1. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

They have an expressive eye and are gentle in nature. They are small, elegant dogs which are known for their lovely nature and its silky skin which makes them a good addition to any family.

2. French Bulldog

This breed of dog is a charmer with its bat-like ears and a body build that is compact. Despite their appearance of being muscular in nature, they are very playful and affectionate.

3. Pomeranian

These breeds are tiny and fox-like dogs and are known for their plume-like tails, double coats and avibrant personality. They may be small but their cuteness is out of this world.

4. Shiba Inu

This breed is of the Japanese descent and as gained a lot of popularity due its internet sensation known as “Doge” meme. They have characteristics like a fox-like appearance, curly tails and a charming appearance.

5. Dachshund

Aside from being called dachshunds, they are also known as “wiener dogs” and are made up of elongated bodies and a short leg which create an irresistible cute look. They are playful in nature with expressive eyes which makes them lovable.

6. Corgi

They are Pembroke Welsh Corgi with legs that are short and posses an expressive face. It is known as a choice breed of Queen Elizabeth II and its cuteness and charm in one.

7. Shih Tzu

This particular breed is made of cuteness and elegance. Their distinctive pushed-in faces and long flowing coats makes them stand out as being a favorite to many who love small and cuddly dogs with a regal flair.

8. Pug

Pugs have wrinkled faces and curled tails which makes them beautiful to behold. It is known for its social and loving nature and are a perfect blend of adorable and affection.

9. Maltese

This breed of dogs is petite and graceful in nature and is known for its long, flowing coat with dark and expressive eyes. They are affectionate dogs which makes them cute companions to have around.

10. Golden Retriever

This specie is larger than some breeds in this list and is without doubts, one of the cutest breeds of dogs. It has a gentle and friendly nature. They have soulful eyes and a perpetual wagging tail which makes them adorable to behold.