The Nigerian Conservation Foundation requested the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to persecute an indigene who recently killed an elephant in Idanre.
An unknown person was killed last week by an elephant at the Janiyi camp in Idanre, Ondo State, who sparked a mixed reaction from the Nigerian social media.
The NCF said that the governor's action against the killer would serve as a deterrent to others while elephants are threatened throughout the world.
The NCF's Acting Director General, Joseph Onoja, said on Tuesday that he led a three-year delegation at a courtesy visit to Punch Place, the corporate headquarters of Punch Nigeria Limited, Magboro, Ogun State.
According to Onoja, the NFC manages Omo Shasha Woodland, where the elephant is killed.
He said, "NFC has an important role in the preservation of the nation's environment. We manage Omo-Shasha Woodland, the last forest in the South-west where we have an elephant in the forest.
“It was in the corner of this forest that an elephant was killed, we have been in touch with the governor trying to get him to take action because the incident has the potential of embarrassing his government.
“We knew there were elephants there but we didn’t want to blow it up so that poachers will not go in there and hunt the elephants. So, we were really disheartened, it is a criminal offence. We have a law, which is the Endangered Species Act and elephants are under Schedule 1, people are not supposed to trade in it. Nigeria is a signatory to biodiversity, we are not supposed to kill endangered species and elephants are known globally as endangered species.”
Onoja said under the Endangered Species Act, whoever killed an elephant could be penalised.
“When you kill an elephant, you extract its tusks which are classified under globally banned and illegally traded products. The person can be charged with killing an endangered species and trading in an illegal product,” he said.
The DG also called for more action in the preservation of vultures, adding that the bird’s population had declined in the last six years.
“Vulture moved from the least concerned to critically endangered species and the next step will be extinction. They play very vital roles, if they are not there to clean carcasses off the environment, the dogs and rats will take them into the human population where they spread anthrax, tuberculosis and cholera among other diseases that can affect the human population,” he added.Räägi sõbrale... #AFRICA ... spill TEA ABOUT THE TOPIC ABOVE.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
“It was in the corner of this forest that an elephant was killed, we have been in touch with the governor trying to get him to take action because the incident has the potential of embarrassing his government.
“We knew there were elephants there but we didn’t want to blow it up so that poachers will not go in there and hunt the elephants. So, we were really disheartened, it is a criminal offence. We have a law, which is the Endangered Species Act and elephants are under Schedule 1, people are not supposed to trade in it. Nigeria is a signatory to biodiversity, we are not supposed to kill endangered species and elephants are known globally as endangered species.”
Onoja said under the Endangered Species Act, whoever killed an elephant could be penalised.
“When you kill an elephant, you extract its tusks which are classified under globally banned and illegally traded products. The person can be charged with killing an endangered species and trading in an illegal product,” he said.
The DG also called for more action in the preservation of vultures, adding that the bird’s population had declined in the last six years.
“Vulture moved from the least concerned to critically endangered species and the next step will be extinction. They play very vital roles, if they are not there to clean carcasses off the environment, the dogs and rats will take them into the human population where they spread anthrax, tuberculosis and cholera among other diseases that can affect the human population,” he added.Räägi sõbrale... #AFRICA ... spill TEA ABOUT THE TOPIC ABOVE.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
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