MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Sept 10 (Askume) – A major zoo in northern Nigeria said on Tuesday that floods had killed more than 80% of the animals at the zoo, which houses many wild animals including lions, crocodiles, buffalos and ostriches.
“Some deadly animals such as crocodiles and snakes have entered our communities,” the Sunde Kirimi Park Zoo said in a statement about the flooding in northern Borno state, urging residents to take precautions.
Dams overflowed following heavy rains, causing flooding and displacing thousands of people.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s office said the disaster had hit facilities including the post office and a teaching hospital in the state capital Maiduguri, and asked people to evacuate the worst-hit areas.
“President Tinubu expressed his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of the state, especially the families who lost their livelihoods due to the disaster caused by the flooding of the Arau Dam, adding that humanitarian needs would be met,” the statement said.
At least 49 people were killed in floods in the Northeast last month , while over 600 people have died in floods in 2022.
Borno state, the birthplace of Boko Haram, is already grappling with a 15-year insurgency that has killed and displaced many people.
