Tourism

Help! Oyo National Park is crying for attention

Naturally, the journey to the park starts from the Administrative office in Oyo town where the Conservator General of the park, other conservators, museum instructor and some other members of staff will welcome, intimate tourists about the park and be given guided talk round the park’s museum gallery.

In the gallery are many items such as; Samples of the skin of some of the animals tourists are likely to come across at the park such as; Giant Porcupine, Crocodile, Savanna Africa Elephant, Ostrich which has 41days gestation period & ostrich eggs, Black back Jackal and so on, Other items on exhibition are: Ayo Olopon, Beads, Sea Animal Shell, Local drums, Fisherman’s calabash (Oore) cowries, seized poacher’s weapons and hunting implements, caves and other historical archaeological sites in the park among other items.

Old Oyo National Park is located in Oyo State, South-west Nigeria with an area of 2,512 square Kilometres, shaped like ‘Saxophone’ and lies between latitudes 80 10’ and 90 05’ North, and 9o 05’ N longitudes 3o and 4o 2’ East. It is 60 Km from Ibadan and 160 Km from Ilorin. It takes its name from Oyo-Ile (Old Oyo) the ancient political capital of Oyo Empire of the Yoruba people. The idea to protect the fauna and flora resources of the present area was realized in 1938 through the Forestry Ordinance and laws signed on the 6th December 1936.

In Old Oyo National park, one can move first in the vehicle for some minutes, then trek the larger part of the portion of the park which vehicle could not convey one too. A stream is located in the midst of the park which does not in any way look like it could ever be affected by dry season because it is full and it looks fresh. It is obvious from every indication that the animals might have been sustained by this stream during the dry season.

However, a lot of forbidden activities could be noted one of which is, burning of the bush. Though the pack interpreters would explain it as an administrative technique used to grow fresh plants and grass for the animals’ consumption. Of noteworthy also is the dominant plant in the park, paradonsa (Vitex Dodonava) which is to an extent according to research dangerous for the consumption of the animals but the means to eradicate the plant is still elusive.

Coupled with all these is an amazing fact that, trekking many distance in the park one could not notice any activities of the animals or their movement where it is expected that at least animals such as; different species of monkeys, variety of birds, Savanna Africa Elephant, etc. reside, even in the cool of the day when they are expected to be highly active.

The parks’ borderlines could not be reached easily from the main entrance and even the core zone is not accessible. Also, it can be noted that some parts of the park are waterlogged and this makes the park not accessible during raining season.

If this National Park has to be made available for both researchers and tourists, who should be held responsible for its sustenance and protection? The government that established it and probably do not provide means of adequate protection, the park managers, conservators, guide, interpreters etc. who are employed to take care of such large expanse of land, as it was discovered that the park is also suffering from overgrazing by livestock or the host community and the surrounding settlements that still see the park as their property and hunt for animals at will?

It is reported that poachers are been arrested on regular bases and their hunting implements been seized (many are exhibited in the park’s museum) and amazingly, bushmeat is readily available at any local eatery (Buka) and at a cheap rate of as low as N100 per cut, what could have been served for about N800 to N1000 in the city. There is no doubt that there is severe over-hunting of wildlife, resulting in population declines which may ultimately lead to local extinctions. Unfortunately, this has not been combated.

What of excessive illegal clearance of woodlands, drainage of wetlands and as a result, many species are now very rare in the park, if not already extinct? The protected area system is obviously totally inadequate in terms of forest conservation and the reserve that exists in this forest is generally too neglected for viable animal preservation.

The base camp which is the park’s accommodation for tourists is of a good standard. However, the hostel accommodation for students on research and fieldwork needs some face lifting to make it habitable and more comfortable. “Who shall we send or who shall go for us’’ Old Oyo National Park, obviously, urgently needed more hands than what the government alone can handle.