Updated February 26th, 2020 at 13:50 IST
Nigeria: Investigation called for 'disgusting' video showing manatee being dragged
Nigeria's deputy environment minister has called for state environment commissioner to launch a probe after a video of manatee being dragged surfaced online.
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Nigeria's deputy environment minister Sharon Ikeazor has called for the state environment commissioner to launch an investigation after a “distressing and disgusting” video surfaced on the internet showing a group of men dragging a manatee with a rope tied around its tail. In the same video, the helpless creature was seen flapping its flippers and desperately trying to get out of the situation in front of spirited onlookers.
My attention has been drawn to a very distressing & distasteful video of a captured manatee in the Niger Delta Region being dragged on bare ground to a cruel fate by some ill informed/uninformed youth. I strongly condemn this act .... pic.twitter.com/08yPCUf35o
— Sharon Ikeazor (@sharon_ikeazor)
@FMEnvng is making contact with the Commisioner of Environment in that state to investigate & if possible rescue the manatee & return it to its natural habitat.....
— Sharon Ikeazor (@sharon_ikeazor)
The West African manatees are classified as vulnerable species and it is illegal to hunt them in Nigeria. However, according to international media reports, the practice among locals still remains pervasive and the animal is a target for meat, oil, and organs which is also used in certain traditional medicines.
Ikeazor not only strongly condemned the youth behind the video and called them “ill-informed” but also rooted for the animal's transfer to its natural habitat.
Horrific video of threatened West African manatee dragged down a street in Delta State, Nigeria yesterday. We have informed @sharon_ikeazor, Nigerian Minister of State for Environment, who has said she will issue a statement and take action. @UNEP @BonnConvention @OceanCare pic.twitter.com/bABmzpEyZg
— Blue Planet Society (@Seasaver)
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10,000 West African manatees living
The International Union for Conservation of Nature reportedly estimated in 2015 that there were 10,000 West African manatees living in the wild; however, and the number is in rapid decline. Moreover, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) has also reportedly said it is crucial, especially in poverty-stricken areas, to educated and spread awareness for conservation efforts.
It also said that there are “still sizeable populations of the species” in certain regions of the manatee distribution range. It is particularly these areas that require education and strong resource management programmes in order to find a way of stopping or “at least reducing excessive hunting”.
According to CMS, it is also important to elaborate on a regional programme for manatee conservation in West African. Furthermore, it shall be based on the most reliable scientific data and taking into account the environment as well as the socio-economic characteristics of local communities.
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Published February 26th, 2020 at 13:50 IST