FG urged to implore technology in conserving endangered wildlife

The Director Livestock Services, Katsina State, Alhaji Gambo Abubakar, has urged the Federal Government to use technology in conserving endangered wildlife in the ecosystem.

He made the call on Monday at an event to commemorate the 2024 World Wildlife Day in Katsina State.

The theme of this year is: “Connecting people and planet: Exploring digital innovation in wildlife conservation”.

He said that the government could use satellite to know the number of wild animals living in a particular forest.

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Abubakar further said that the endangered wildlife species could be reproduced using artificial insemination.

“Here one can collect semen of male wild animals and inseminate the female ones for reproduction

“After the birth, the animals can be confined in separate area up to the time when they are due for release into the forest.

“Chip is another method of wildlife conservation where you write information about the animal and put it under its skin, and monitor its movement using a scanner for very long.

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“This method can assist to know the situation that animal is in, and quickly provide assistance where possible,” he said.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Musa Adamu, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Muntari Kado, urged people to intensify efforts to preserve their environment.

He spoke at length on the dangers associated with felling of trees and hunting wildlife animals in the forest.

Kado, therefore, urged people to do more in planting of more trees and desist from indiscriminate cutting them for firewoods, charcoal and other purposes.

He noted that exposes the environment to desertification, making the wild animals to disappear and expose the lead to climate change.

Also speaking, the Senior Programme Manager of the Mercy Corps, Mr. Philip Ikita, said the occasion was organized by the Katsina government in collaboration with Mercy Corps, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Centre for Democracy and Development. (CDD).

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He revealed that the trio were implementing the 18-months project, “Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation”, a pilot project, being implemented in Batsari, Jibia, Danmusa and Kankara local government areas of Katsina State.

According to him, the conflict between farmers and herdsmen was as a result of struggle to control grazing reserves.