Old Oyo National Park, PMB 1033, Oyo, Nigeria
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Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies & Management 8(5): 548 – 555, 2015. ISSN:1998-0507 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v8i5.8 Submitted: March 03, 2015 Accepted: July 09, 2015 ASSESSMENT OF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR UNGULATES IN OLD OYO NATIONAL PARK, NIGERIA *OYELEKE, O.O., 1 ODEWUMI, O.S. 1 AND MUSTAPHA, R.A. 2 1Federal University of Technology, Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria 2Old Oyo National Park, P.M.B 1033, Oyo, Nigeria Abstract Assessment of the habitat management practices was investigated for four months to identify the various management strategies and threats affecting ungulates in Old Oyo National Park. The methods used for the study are observation techniques and questionnaire administration and data were analyzed descriptively. Results showed that four management practices (annual burning, anti poaching patrol, conservation awareness/education and boundary assessment/ surveillance) are in place for animals in Old Oyo National Park and they are not animal specific. Ungulates presently encountered in the study area are seven, Kob; Waterbuck; Bushbuck; Roan antelope, Oribi; Buffalo and Duikers. The threats to the Park vary in intensity among the ranges but the ones common to all the ranges of the Park are grazing, hunting and honey tapping. Mining is a major threat in Oyo ile range, while fishing with chemical is practiced in Sepeteri range; these threats have direct effects on the animals. Suggestion was made on the need to intensify anti-poaching patrol and conservation awareness to curb the level of encroachment into the Park. Key Words: Park management, habitat, ungulates, conservation Introduction management; this management may consist Ungulates represent the vast majority of of complete protection of the habitat in order large herbivores on the earth (Wilson and to keep it suitable for certain kind of game, Reeder, 2005). They occur in nearly all for example the browsers (Danladi, 1999). zoogeographical regions except the Wildlife management by definition attempts Antarctica. Generally, 257 species of to balance the needs of wildlife with the modern ungulates were recognized (Wilson needs of people using the best available and Reeder, 2005), five of which have science. This can include game keeping, become extinct due to human activities and wildlife conservation, and pest control other species are of critical conservation (Wikipedia, 2001). Wildlife management concern (Huffman, 2008). Modifications of can also mean the judicious use of the the range to meet the requirement of wild wildlife resources towards the attainment of life are called habitat management (Singh, scientific, ecological, economical, ethical, 2005), these modifications include food, aesthetic and recreational objectives for the water, and shelter. According to Onadeko benefit of human – beings and for the (2004), habitat management is wildlife improvement of nature, upon which all the 548 *Corresponding author: Oyeleke, O.O. Email: [email protected] Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 8 no. 5, 2015 components of ecosystem depend. It is other land-management goals. He also stated science and art of manipulation of structure, that, effective manipulation of habitat dynamics and relations of the wild requires knowledge about the size of the populations, its habitats and the concerned ungulate population with respect to carrying people in order to achieve specific human capacity. For instance, a population held goals by means of wildlife resources (Singh, well below carrying capacity by predation is 2005). The habitat requirement for each not limited by available forage, and ungulate differs and the environment needs manipulation of habitat to enhance animal manipulation to meet these requirements. numbers will not likely be successful. It is expected that wildlife management Conversely, appropriate manipulation of should benefit wildlife, but some habitat to enhance animal numbers for management practices have unknown population near carrying capacity holds consequence. Juffe-Bignoli et al. (2014) great promise for increasing population size observed that management interventions can and allowable harvest. cause habitat degradation and become The manipulation of environment by threats to protected areas. This includes fire man for his needs is the most prevalent and fire suppression, dams and water factor affecting wildlife habitat and management or use, fragmentation within consequently the wildlife populations. protected areas and isolation of protected Man’s use of these natural resources in his areas in wider landscape. own way unscientifically caused bad impact The alarming rate at which Nigeria is on the wildlife. Hence, habitat management losing its natural ecosystem both in the and its preservation are as important as protected and free hold areas is an indication wildlife conservation. The wildlife manager that the country is confronted with serious must identify those factors, which affect the problems of environmental conservation habitat, and understand the interrelationships (Lawan, 2002).With over 50 species or between the animal and habitat. In line with groups of species of fauna in Nigeria on the this, the Wildlife Society in 2012 reviewed endangered list, particularly in the primates and examined the most significant issues (monkey), the felidae (cat), the bovidae facing management of ungulate in National (Ungulates) and the bird families, a better Parks of the U.S. and Canada and approach to conservation management is recommended how to cope with the needed to save these resources. These challenges (Wildlife Society, 2012). problems have been directly attributed to Brittingham and Delong (1998) stated that excessive hunting of wildlife by subsistence enhancing wildlife habitat through and commercial hunters, the irreversible management practices leads to improvement transformation of forests and woodlands and of the habitat quality which in turn increases the non-sustainable exploitation of the the population of animals in the range. remaining areas throughout the country, It is therefore important to evaluate the causing continuing wildlife habitat loss. management practices and activities in place Kie et al. (2000) reported prescribed for ungulates in Old Oyo National Park. This burning as one of the ways to improve could be achieved through identification of habitat for ungulates. Other ways though various management practices in place for may be expensive, difficult to accomplish on Old Oyo National Park and identification of a scale enough to substantially increase threats and pressures to park management in ungulates number and may conflict with Old Oyo National Park. 549 Assessment of Management Practices for Ungulates i n Old Oyo National ................ OYELEKE et al. Methodology woodland in the central part, outcrop Study Area vegetation in the northeast and riparian Old Oyo National Park is one of the grassland and fringing woodland occupying seven National Parks in Nigeria created by the forest plains and valleys along the Ogun decree number 36 of 1991. Earlier existed as River. The Park is easily accessible from any two contiguous forest reserves; Upper Ogun part of the Country. Figure 1 shows map of and Oyo-Ile and gazetted in 1936 and 1941 Old Oyo National Park and a few of the respectively. The park is located in the west- surrounding town and villages. The Park has central part of Nigeria in northern Oyo state five ranges; these are Marguba, Ogundiran- and lies between latitude 8°10 ʹN and 9°05 ʹN Tede, Oyo-Ile, Sepeteri, and Yemoso. and longitutde.3°and4°20 ʹE.The total park Data Collection area is 2,512sq.km. The park derives its Fifty questionnaires were administered name from ruins of Oyo-ile, the political in the five (5) ranges of the Park, ten (10) in capital of ancient Oyo Empire and is each range. The questionnaires were given characterized by a high forest and dense to field and protection staffs that were savannah mosaic woodland ecosystem. It is usually in the ranges to elicit information on rich in fauna and flora resources such as the different management practices Roan antelope, ( Hippotragus equinus ), embarked upon by the park management to Western hartebeest ( Alcelaphus buselaphus ), improve the habitat conditions for ungulates. Red flanked duiker ( Cephalophus rufilatus ), Direct observation: Observation of the Oribi ( Ourebia ourebi ), Buffon’s kob, various habitat management practices such (Kobus kob ), Buffalo ( Syncerus caffer ), as burning, anti-poaching patrols, boundary Common or Grimm’s duiker ( Sylvicapra assessment to ascertain whether and how grimmia ), Bushbuck ( Tragelaphus scriptus ), they are carried out within the park ranges. Baboon ( Papio anubis ), and a wide variety This was collected over a period of four of birds. Ibadan malimbe, (Malimbeus months. Ungulate species identification ibadanensis ) one of the two endemic species followed (Agbelusi et al ., 2003). Threat to of bird in Nigeria is found in the park. The the habitat of the animals were also observed vegetation of the park include dense and documented. The data were analyzed woodland and forests outlier in the using descriptive analysis. southeastern part, mixed open savanna 550 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 8 no. 5, 2015 Figure 1: Map of Old Oyo National Park Source: Ogunjinmi, 2010 RESULTS these are Kobs ( Kobu kob ), Waterbuck, The results of the management practices (Kobus defassa