Zoo animals escape as flood hits Nigerian state

Image source, Iliya Sani

Image caption, People were filmed gathering to watch an ostrich that had escaped from the zoo, but has been recaptured

Author, Mansur Abubakar in Kano & Yusuf Akinpelu in Lagos
Role, BBC News
10 September 2024

Officials from a zoo in north-east Nigeria have confirmed that some wild animals had escaped from captivity after flooding hit Borno state.

Videos of some of the creatures on the streets of the state capital, Maiduguri, have been widely shared on social media.

Ali Donbest, who runs the Sanda Kyarimi Zoo, told the BBC that he does not know exactly how many animals are free but a hunt is on to locate them. One ostrich has been found but he advised residents to be careful.

Local media are reporting that Maiduguri is experiencing flooding on a scale that has not been seen for three decades with many forced to leave their homes.

Mr Donbest said that there had been some success in finding some of those that had escaped.

“We’ve been able to recapture the ostrich seen on the street and we also got a call that a crocodile had been found in another location but we cannot get there due to the floods,” he said.

He also said the cages where the lions and hyenas were kept had been submerged by floodwaters but cannot tell if they had escaped.

The zoo boss explained that the flood had damaged some of its walls enabling the animals to roam free.

However, not all the creatures spotted on the streets may be from the zoo.

“We got a report that a hippo was seen somewhere and we don't have hippos in the zoo, so the waters might also disperse animals from other locations too,” he said.

Maiduguri resident Ishaq Sani told the BBC his biggest fear at the moment is to come across a wild animal.

He abandoned his home due to the floods and is now staying with a friend in another location.

Up to now. there have not been any reports of animals attacking humans.

This is the latest incident in a series of floods that have hit Nigeria recently. More than 170 people have died and tens of thousands have been forced from their homes across the country, Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency has said.