SEO Riders:
– Nigeria hippo population decline
– Illegal hippo killing condemned
– Wildlife conservation urgency in Nigeria
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has strongly condemned the recent killing of a common hippopotamus in Edo State’s Etsako Central LGA by a local vigilante group. The hippo species, classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, now has fewer than 100 individuals remaining in Nigeria, largely within protected conservation areas. The NCF denounced the act as illegal, immoral, and a severe blow to the nation’s fragile natural heritage.
Dr. Joseph Onoja, NCF’s Director General, contextualized the tragedy, attributing it to broader environmental pressures such as habitat loss, freshwater habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes, all of which amplify human–wildlife conflicts. He emphasized the ecological importance of hippos as wetland engineers whose disappearance threatens biodiversity and ecosystem health.
The incident serves as a stark reminder: without strengthened legal protections, community-based conservation, and habitat restoration, Nigeria risks losing one of its most iconic wildlife species.
