The Sanda Kyarimi Zoological Park is situated within the metropolis along the ever busy Shehu Laminu Way in Maiduguri. Sandwiched between the state’s High Courts premises and the business district area, the park serves as daily sanctuary for hundreds of people who want to relieve themselves of the day’s stress in the city.
The park was established in 1970 initially, as a forest reserve, and then gradually it developed into a large wildlife sanctuary and a botanical park.
The 42-acre park is house to a lot of the animal species of great beauty, color and sizes. The park not only provides hundreds of enthusiastic young boys and girls with the opportunity to see firsthand animals of various creations, it also serves as a leisure for people.
A visit to the park reveals Maiduguri residents’ reverence of tranquility, peace and love for animals and the botanical nature, which are in abundance in the park.
The most attractive congregation was the monkey village. Parked with the beautiful red pandas, the village has several species such as the baboon, chimpanzee the tantalus monkeys.
Squeaking at offerings by the visitors the fantas dances to the amusement of young boys and girls who troupe to catch a glimpse of the various species of the monkeys. With several food items, the visitors commandeer the monkeys to their whims and caprices as they take pictures of the amazing creatures.
Reserved and fuming, the chimpanzee – I was told that one of the oldest in the 42-year old park – would giggle at the offer of banana as the children, and even couples dangle with commodity to entice him.
Another big attraction site was the lion den. Caged in an over 40-millimeter iron bars at the middle of another fence are the king and his wife. As elegant as ever, the lion as huge as a well fed horse lay in the shade of the cage uninterested of the many offerings by visitors interested in seeing them on the feet.
I was told by the guide that the lion only appears for the visitors in the cool early morning, or towards the sun set when the weather is favorable and less antagonizing.
The Sanda Kyarimi Park is a microcosm of a national park with almost every known animal specy for sightseeing.
From the Crested Porcupine (Bushiya) to Deer, Bland Cafes, to Crocodiles, Hyenas, to the Pythons and all kinds of snake species, the park is a delight to visit and has served as a weekend toaster to hundreds of civil servants who are looking for a place to rest.
The elephants are another side attraction in the park, drawing the attention of several visitors who thronged the area to feed the gullible creatures and some daring ones to even climb them.
Several senior civil servants were seen whiling away time during the weekend and some of them described the place as tranquil, and “just what any resident need at a time like this.”
Muhammed Shani is a banker with the nation’s apex bank. He told Weekend Magazine that his decision to always visit the park for the last two years was to wind down tension and get ready for another week days ahead.
“It is a peaceful environment and as the weather is harsh around this time here, coupled with the insecurity in the city, I find this place secured, peaceful and inviting,” he said
Shani said the park is the only place that enables him and his colleagues to unwind from the city’s stress.
“I always try to disabuse the minds of my friends and colleagues who I am able to convince to come here (Maiduguri) that it is not only about the crisis here, but something else that will ease the mind and refresh it is available in the park,” he added.
While calling on the state government to propagate the uniqueness and the peaceful environment in the park as a tool to sell the other side of the state, Shani further argued that by organizing events in the park, the state government can reinvent the dying social life in the state once regarded as the epitome of peace and tranquility.
In his assessment of the park, a businessman, Alhaji Saleh Gimba said he has been a regular visitor to the park for the last seven years and so far, he has never for one week refused coming to dine with friends and appreciate the beauty of nature abundant in the park.
“After a difficult business day, we wind off tension with friends and especially now, we find this place amusing, peaceful and another world away from home in recent years” he said
He told Weekend Magazine that as a constant visitor for the last seven years, the animal stocks continue to increase with more and more species coming in every year.
“What distinguishes this park from the rest is the rare animals that keep coming year in year out and you never fail to see what you can see anywhere in this country,” he added.
The park is not only a delight to civil servants and the young ones, lovers, parents and groups spend their times with friends in either celebrating birthdays or taking their children for sightseeing.
Hajiya Hajara Bulama is a housewife. She told Weekend Magazine that every weekend she along with her children visit the park to rest, eat and spend the day there before the resumption to work and school on Mondays.
“Whenever my husband travels, or when he is at home we make it a duty to visit here every weekend with the children until the sun set” She said
A young couple Mr. Moses Yaysip described the park as the best cool and peaceful place in the city.
He said he and his girl friend always visit the park to spend the weekend and forget about the trauma they have been subjected to throughout every week.
“The park provides us with an alternative view of the city, peaceful, cool and a perfect co habitation between the many visitors and the various species that abound around. It’s (park) serene environment and beautiful animals give us peace of mind,” he added.
While Maiduguri will for now continue to be viewed as the most dangerous city in the country, the park will also continue to serve as a distilling arena where residents will find peace, tranquility and where they will for once forget about the dangers inherent in the city, at least, for a while.
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