Wildlife export to Nigeria

The Namibian Government donated a large number and variety of wildlife species from Namibia to the Bauchi State Government in Nigeria.

Wildlife Veterinarian, H.-O. Reuter (African Wildlife Services), together with game capture specialists Neels de Jongh (African Game) and Jan du Preez (H. du Preez Wild) were contracted by the Bauchi State Government to advise and assist in the development of the Sumu Wildlife Park in the Sumu Forest Reserve, Bauchi State, Nigeria, and to translocate the game donated by the Namibian Government as well as additional animals purchased by the Bauchi State Government.

A total of 279 animals, namely 10 giraffe, 53 Burchell's zebra, 14 eland, 23 blue wildebeest, 21 red hartebeest, 24 oryx, 26 kudu, 52 springbok and 56 common impala from Namibia were released into a suitably game proof fenced release camp in the Sumu Wildlife Park in Nigeria.

The animals were captured in various Namibian Game Reserves, National Parks and on private game farms, and subsequently kept in the holding bomas of Du Preez Wild near Otjiwarongo for between several days and 3 weeks.

On 5 June 2006 the animals were loaded into steel-framed wooden transport crates, and were suitably tranquilised, treated with ecto- and endo-parasiticides and long-acting antibiotics and transferred by trucks to the Hosea Kutako International airport, Windhoek, Namibia.

Once the paperwork was done all the animals were loaded onto a chartered Boeing 747 - 400F cargo aircraft from Emirates Skycargo operated by Atlas Air and airlifted to Kano International Airport in Nigeria.

The animals were again off-loaded from the aircraft onto trucks after a 5 hour flight and transported by road to the Sumu Wildlife Park, where the animals arrived on 6 June 2006.

The animals were then released into their new game-proof fenced release camp within the Sumu Forest Reserve, where they are carefully monitored by local game guards.

It was reported that the animals adapted well during the 2006 wet season and that almost no mortalities have been recorded.