Calm in Borno as escaped elephant returns to zoo

One of the missing wild animals, an elephant that escaped from thecSanda Kyarimi Park Zoo in Maiduguri, Borno State following the recent flooding which damaged the park and submerged 70 per cent of the state capital has voluntarily returned to the park.

In a video that went viral on Monday, the elephant was seen being lured back into the zoo with a food by the park workers at the gate until it entered into the park and the gates slammed against it.

Eye witnesses who spoke with Arewa PUNCH in Maiduguri said the return of the elephant is a relief to residents who have been on the lookout for the wild animal for the past 17 days.

“When this flood damaged the zoo and we heard that the animals have occupied streets, I have been careful about my movements. I am glad the elephant is back.

“Alhamdulilah, our mind is at rest now while we keep looking for others,” Aisha Mohammed, a Maiduguri resident, stated.

A resident who witnessed the return of the elephant, Abubakar Usman, said, “The elephant returned on Friday or so. It was a great moment for us as we jubilated over its return because the more the elephant stays missing and outside the zoo, the more our fears get heightened.”

Similarly, Abba Modu, another resident of Maiduguri, expressed joy over the news of the return of the elephant, stating that “the zoo is incomplete without that elephant. It was always fun to watch the elephant at the caged at the zoo. We are also glad that there was no news of the elephant killing anyone while it was missing.”

However, efforts by Arewa PUNCH to reach out to the zoo authorities for updates on the whereabouts of other missing animals proved abortive.

Our correspondent, who visited the zoo, reports that it is currently going through a renovation on a facelift, especially around the damaged section of the fence behind the zoo and other facilities.

Arewa PUNCH had earlier reported that the management of the Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo had confirmed that about 80 per cent of the animals in the zoo died due to the flooding while others, including crocodiles, snakes among other dangerous animals escaped.