Sani Abatcha is the acting General Manager of the Kyarimi Sandabe Park and Zoo in Maiduguri. Although a small place where visitors spend time to watch animals and relax, he has been able to give a good account of himself in the management of the place that was almost abandoned and dilapidated before his appointment He spoke to our Northern Editor, Sam Kayode, on how he intends to turn the tide of the place by restocking with more animals to increase his clientele. The interview.
What are you doing differently from the park management you met on ground?
My name is Sani Abatcha, I am acting General Manager here. The Borno State Government has set up a committee and I am the secretary of the five man committee. I have a chairman who is the present Director of Planning in the Ministry of Environment, myself and three other committee members who are staff of the ministry. Before the Government of Prof. Babagana Zulum, actually the Zoo was not stocked like this. With the support of the Deputy Governor Borno State we got different animals in. Actually with the intervention of the government, we got different species. Four month ago, we went to Bauchi and bought some animals to the Zoo like Elans, Zebra, Giraffe and White Hawks. We bought these animals at very high prices because of lack of animals that we have in Nigeria. Before the insurgency we had many of them in the Sambisa forest. We had Elephants, Hippotimous, Elan, White Hawks in Sambisa forest and we had a Lion. But due the insurgency, most of the animals migrated from Sambisa to Chad Republic. But I don’t know if you are aware last three months, there were some animals in Kala Balge. There were some elephants more than 300 of them in Kala Balge which belongs to Borno State government. Because of the insecurity, we can’t go after them. We would be attacked. We requested, we write a letter to Theatre Commander that we want to send our Rangers to bring back those animals to their various places. And that will happen soon.
And even the Sambisa forest is not safe. However, we now know the place where they are roaming and we believe it’s safe which is why we monitor them only for now. We have informants who are giving us updates on them. Snapping their pictures and sending. We are collaborating with the District head of that area. So we monitor their movements regularly. If there is anything we quickly get reports from them and actually now we are in the process of going to Namibia.
You want to go to Namibia to get some more animals?
The Ambassador and the minister of Foreign Affairs are talking regarding the memorandum of understanding MOU because we want to do it in a very profitable way. We want to sign the MOU between the Namibian Government and Nigeria in conjunction with Borno State Government. So they have worked on everything for us, and we are waiting for their final approval. Borno State Government supported us with everything that we requested. We are hoping to bring more animals into the Zoo yes. If I tell you our proposal, you can even say where will I keep these animals if I bring them. Because I requested for 10 pairs each of elephants giraffe, hippopotamus, lions, tigers, crocodiles and Ostriches. When we get these opportunities to bring these animals into our country, we should be collaborating with our nearest zoo partners, so that we keep some temporarily with them. Even if you examine the history of this Zoo, it was people that brought animals in from the beginning. So we will do our best.
So how many animals do you have in this place?
We have 136 animals…….gesticulating…..If you come to this cage, we have one Ostrich, this cage we have 7 dwarf cows, the other ones have one Elan, Ostrich, White Hawk, 3 Warthog, while the other cage is full of Crocodiles. We have 4 Tortoise. When you come down here, we have Gazelle male and female Gazelle.
Do you have Tigers?
No we don’t have Tigers, we have crocodiles – 37 of the crocodiles, then we have elephants, we have two lions. Then we have porcupines, there are six, and different kind of birds. We have barhaman chicken, and different varieties of wild geese.
What about bush fowls or wild ducks? Do you have them?
Wild duck, we don’t have that wild duck here, before we had the wild duck but we don’t anymore.
How many snakes do you have? Saw some when entering the zoo.
Snakes. We have I think 8 species of snakes. Pythons, big and small snakes, Monkeys, we have a different monkey. We have a Baboon, we have Muna monkey, Red patterned and you know even the monkeys, are about 50, we have different animals.
What happen to the pregnant lion that died ? No vet around to cut the stomach open and remove the baby?
They tried their best. But the baby died.
Have you thought of the fact that in the next 20 years you may have the need for expansion?
Right now, I collaborate with some NGOs that want to introduce a recreation center. When I spoke with Borno State Government, I told them that this state will need a new designated recreation center. They even asked me to find the location, we found the location near that Mechanic Village. We had a very, very big farm there that we want to do that recreation center, it’s my agenda for 2023. And its part of my agenda to bring a very big recreational center to the capital. I have the plan and the picture of the items that I want to bring it from any country. So we have that plan aside.
When I went to Abuja, I went to, the Bamanga Tukur Farm or zoo. Its a mini zoo, he has animals. It’s a mini private zoo, that zoo has everything, he has animals and halls, children play ground, and a mini guest house like hotel. I’m really impressed.
And if you have meetings, there is a hall and you want to eat there is a restaurant, and if your children want to play there is a recreation center. And if you want to enter, there is a zoo there to feed the eyes. And its a very small place not even half of this place. That is my kind of dream for the new place we have acquired.
Before my coming you know there was lack of management. But we shall get there.
We have been hearing some stories of animals escaping. How true are these reports?
It is true but it doesn’t make sense in the zoo before I came, they said that three monkeys escaped and they could not catch anyone, they killed one and took two of the monkeys, they disappeared until now. And I asked them to go and find the monkeys , I even wrote to the DSS about it.
Recently, I met one case of a woman who reported the zoo management that the elephants collected her bag and ate the bag. Inside that bag, she said there was gold and N150,000. She reported to management, for us to pay her. I responded by writing to the police who came to the zoo and intended to arrest the person in charge of the animals. I had to write a counter petition to the AIG. You came and met elephants and you threw your bag and the animals carried the bag, ate the bag and you report the zoo keeper. So what do you mean? is it the zoo keeper that took your bag or the elephant?
Don’t let me give you too much negative stories, there was lack of management before I came but we are fixing things. For now, I used to go to zoos whenever I go to any state. I went to Jos I went to Jigawa. Bauchi where I went to the Yankare park. I went to the summer park. I spent one month in Yankare, and three weeks in the summer park. This place is actually Sanda Kyarimi Park. It’s just that they have encroached on the land
And all these shops are our own. Yes, it belongs to the zoo. They are paying us rents. And the restaurant in the green area, I am the one that Introduced that green area. Because when you come to the zoo you need some place that you can relax and eat something beautiful you know, when you see the crowd of that area and here the difference is very clear. Because most of the youth when they come into the zoo they want a place where they relax and play games like snooker. when you come on Sundays I have cultural plays at the back. They used to dance, different cultural dances and we call that area the yellow area. I put that name yellow area.
When you come you will see different culture, there is mandara, there is this Fulani dance you know. Every Sunday, I receive more than 500 visitors not because of the animals a lot of them come because of the dance.
So lets talk about IGR, have you been able to generate beyond what you met on ground?
Before I came into the zoo, they generated nothing for the state government and they were not feeding the animals in the right way. They just took the zoo as their fathers land. With my coming and the powerful committee, government set up which I am part of. We are generating a lot of money. In the last 6 month I have generated almost N16 million to Borno State Government. Previously in almost 25 years they had never generated even N100,000 for the Government. So with this revenue that we are generating, we have the opportunity from the government to do whatever we think can bring money. I want to rebuild the fencing of the zoo, so that even when you are going you will see the fencing as a form of advertisement.
I want to rebuild the zoo too. Since I assumed duty I have not sat down for almost 30 minutes without doing nothing. Whenever I enter here, I focus on my job. Thinking of what I can do, so in terms of generating money we are doing our best for now. And the agenda of this government to generate revenue for development. You know you can build yourself from what you get. Not from what someone send to you. You have 10 naira in your pocket.
What are your major challenges doing this task?
Like I told you when you came to the zoo before my coming, you saw some flowers at the gate. We are making the difference there. Even that borehole with the solar I am the one that I ask Borno State Government to bring another borehole for us, because we have very big borehole which is down there and that borehole is just piping to the cages. So we needed a second one for this area. Then we had this opportunity to get another solar borehole to start introducing maybe green area yes. Then and part of my agenda 2023 is to bring public awareness to the place as a public recreation Centre. I also have a plan to rebuild the museum amusement park.
Who is training your staff?
Like Rangers you know we have Rangers and sometime we take them to Bauchi State Government. You know they have a very big wild life park. They are running courses like veterinary and zoo keeping etc. Then we have a lot of securities. Like when you come to the zoo before there was no securities, only rangers, even the rangers were not in control with the thugs. So I liaised with the Commissioner of police and the commander of civil defence we now have like 10 civil defense personnel inside the zoo. When you are coming to the zoo now you come with your family, your friends sit down rest without challenges like before.
Any challenge of rape?
Yes, as I am talking to you right now I have three or four people that we have effected prosecution and they have been sent to prison. Recently we caught two males raping a very young girl. We immediately wrote to the commissioner of Police and the human rights commission and they were convicted. We are not tolerating this. Because such wrongs used to occur especially in the evening. This is why I used to go round, because there is a particular area at the back that they used to hide in that place to perform such crimes. So I always used to go around and check the place. Its part of my schedules to keep this place safe bring security, protect the interest of Borno State Government and to produce revenue, at the end by bringing new ideas. To rebuild the zoo, to revive to bring more species to replace dead ones.
Message to the people
I will like to use this privilege and opportunity to thank the commissioner of police and the commander of civil defence for their cooperation and support to us in any kind of challenges that we had before. We are 100% ready to protect each and every person in this state. Because this is Home of Peace and the peace is nearly back. Thank you very much.
