ASSESSMENT OF HABITAT SPECIES MANAGEMENT AREA FOR KOB (Kobus kob - Erxleben, 1777) IN KAINJI LAKE NATIONAL PARK

The concept of habitat is a cornerstone in the management of wildlife (Krausman, 1999). Wildlife habitat is the physical environment where an animal lives and that provides the necessities of life which are food, water, cover and space. Each species require a particular habitat or the space, food, shelter and other needs of survival so much so that species are said to be the product of their habitat. Wherever an organism is provided with resources that allow it to survive, that is habitat. Thus, migration and dispersal corridors and the land that animals occupy during breeding and non-breeding seasons are habitat (Krausman, 1999). Management can be defined as the judicious use of means to accomplish an end. Management of wildlife requires modifications of wildlife habitat to meet the basic needs of the animals. This involves manipulating the types, amount, or arrangement of food, water and cover within a habitat for the purpose of making the habitat more suitable for a specific species. Wildlife management and conservation initiatives are only possible with the appropriate information on wildlife and its habitat (Kafley, 2008). Wildlife management is much more than the preservation of certain plant and animal species; it involves management of a complete ecosystem. When habitats are threatened, so are the animals that live there. By protecting habitats, the wildlife is being protected.

Countries worldwide have designated some areas as protected areas resulting in many benefits (Ejidike and Ajayi, 2012). A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long time conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. In national parks, game reserves and other protected areas, unique natural resources (flora and fauna), sceneries and landscapes areas are protected, managed and regulated for human benefit from one generation to another. Protection helps maintain ecological processes that cannot survive in most intensely managed landscapes and seascapes. 

There are six categories of a protected area. Habitat species management area is the category IV of the protected area and it is defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “protected areas aiming to protect particular species or habitats and whose management reflects this priority” (Dudley, 2008). 

Kainji Lake National Park management has set aside some areas for the management of Kob. This project aimed at assessing the designated areas for the management of Kobs (Kobus kob) in Kainji Lake National Park; determine the measures in place towards maintaining the areas and the management approach to its effective management.

African savannas support a uniquely diverse fauna whose conservation, unfortunately, is marred by increased habitat encroachment and illegal hunting (Mayaka, 2002). Although Kobs are still widespread and relatively numerous, yet they are highly vulnerable to poaching and habitat loss which has caused severe population declines (IUCN Red List, 2008). Aremu, 2005 observed that Kobus kob was the most poached wildlife species in Kainji Lake National Park followed by Thryonomys swinderianus (Giant rat) with 20.19% and 11.27% level of poaching respectively. There is therefore a need to put in place conservation measures for the effective protection of these species as they could easily become threatened if current conservation measures cease to be effective or disappear altogether. 

Natural ecosystems in Nigeria are highly vulnerable to many adverse influences deliberate or inadvertent (Marguba, 2002). Increasing human activities around the protected areas have been a major limitation to wildlife conservation especially in West Africa (Onadeko, 2004). The belief of most people that live around protected areas is that wildlife is gift from nature and is owned by everybody hence there is no need restricting its use. Moreover, most of them are unemployed and most of their soil texture is unsuitable for agriculture leaving nothing other than hunting and harvesting of natural resources from forests around them. Most people inherit only hunting equipment and skill from their parents; as a result poaching is not viewed by such people as a crime against wild animals and breach of law of the land on protected areas (Ejidike and Ajayi, 2012). Destruction of the animals’ habitat and indiscriminate killing of young and pregnant animals lead to the disappearance of valuable wild animal species. Other factors which influence biodiversity or species loss as noted by Onadeko et al. (2001) are poaching, over-exploitation of forest, urbanization and other competing land use activities.  Anadu and Green (1995) whose record is limited to Nigeria reaffirmed that Kob has largely been eliminated outside conservation areas. It is suspected that the situation will be worse now that a lot of advancement in hunting techniques and poaching strategy are unfolding daily. There is therefore a need to put into place strategies to protect the animals and restore their habitats.

The objectives of this study are to: