Zoo Animals Escape Due To Floods In Nigerian State

Officials at a zoo in northeastern Nigeria have confirmed that a number of wild animals have escaped from captivity after floods 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 Sanda Kyarimi Zoo, told the BBC he didn’t know exactly how many animals were free, but a hunt was underway to find them. One ostrich was found, but he advised residents to be careful.

According to local media, Maiduguri is currently experiencing flooding that has not been seen in the last 30 years, forcing many people to leave their homes.

According to Mr Donbest, some success had been achieved in locating a number of escapees.

“We were able to retrieve the ostrich we saw on the street and we also received a call that a crocodile had been found at another location, but we cannot get there because of the flooding,” he said.

He also said that the cages containing the lions and hyenas were submerged by floodwaters, but he could not say whether they had escaped.

The zoo director explained that the flooding had damaged some of the walls, allowing the animals to roam freely.

But not all animals you see on the street come from the zoo.

“We received a report that a hippo was seen somewhere, but we don’t have hippos in the zoo, so the water could also spread animals from other locations,” he said.

Ishaq Sani, a resident of Maiduguri, told the BBC that his biggest fear right now is encountering a wild animal.

He left his home because of the floods and is now staying with a friend in another location.

So far, there have been no reports of animals attacking humans.

This is the latest incident in a series of floods that have hit Nigeria in recent times, killing more than 170 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes across the country, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said.