WellBeing International WBI Studies Repository 1983 Abundance and Distribution of Large Mammals in the Upper Ogun Game Reserve, Oyo State, Nigeria T. A. Afolayan University of Ibadan K. R. N. Milligan University of Ibadan S. O. Salami International Livestock Centre for Africa Follow this and additional works at: https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/acwp_prs Part of the Animal Studies Commons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, and the Population Biology Commons Recommended Citation Afolayan, T.A., Milligan, K.R.N., & Salami, S.O. (1983). Abundance and distribution of large mammals, in the Upper Ogun Game Reserve, Oyo State, Nigeria. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems, 4(1), 33-44. This material is brought to you for free and open access by WellBeing International. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the WBI Studies Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. I , H. Kitchen Comment Original /Review Articles duction, or other aspects of this society goes beyond the basic concept of rights. Rather, I feel that we have a moral re­ Abundance and Distribution sponsibility toward animals, and that I have made a substantial commitment to of Large Mammals in the this responsibility. The principles of proper animal use Upper Ogun Game Reserve, in colleges of veterinary medicine can­ not guarantee humane treatment in bio­ Oyo State, Nigeria medical research. However, by setting a good example, our professionals can continue to contribute to improvement T.A. Afolayan, K.R.N. Milligan, and S.O. Salami for the future, through education. In this study, three indirect methods [counts of animal droppings, footprints, and References tracks) were used as indices to estimate the abundance and distribution of large mam­ The Future of Animals, Cells, Models, and mals in the Upper Ogun Game Reserve, which is located in a typical Southern Guinea Systems in Research, Development, savanna zone of Nigeria. Thirteen animal species were recorded; kob, bushbuck, harte­ Education, and Testing (1977) Pro­ beest, roan antelope and duicker were the most abundant. The distribution of large ceedings of a Symposium, Institute mammals appears to be controlled by several factors: accessibility to the River Ogun of Laboratory Animal Resources, Di­ [the main source of water in the reserve), availability of food and cover, and the ex­ Figure 3. The use of a wide range of species vision of Biological Sciences, Assem­ tent of illegal hunting. during teaching is important. bly of Life Sciences, Washington, DC. An analysis of questionnaires distributed to various people living in villages McCoullough, L.B. and Morris, J.P. Ill, ed. around the reserve revealed that these people depend heavily on bushmeat for their (1978) Implications of His tory and animal protein requirements. They also use other wildlife products to meet their eco­ Ethics to Medicine, Centennial Aca­ nomic, social, and cultural needs. It is recommended that adequate protection should be demic Assembly, Texas A & M Uni­ accorded to the game reserve for at least 5 years. After that time, the area could be versity, College Station, TX. opened up to tourism, and controlled hunting could be permitted in the buffer zone Morris, R.K. and Fox, M.W. (1978) On the around the reserve. fifth day, In: Animal Rights and Human Ethics, Acropolis Books, Ltd., Zusammenfassung Washington, DC. Schwabe, C.W. (1978) Cattle, Priests, and In dieser Studie wurden drei indirekte Anzeichen (Yorkommnis von Losung, Ti­ Progress in Medicine, vol. 4, The Wes­ erspuren und Wechsel) dafi.ir verwendet, um die Zahl und Verbreitung von grossen ley W. Spink Lectures on Compar­ Saugetieren im Oberen Ogun Wildreservat, welches in einer fUr S[i'd-Guinea charak­ ative Medicine, University of Min­ teristischen Savannen-Zone liegt, abzuschatzen. nesota Press, Minneapolis, MN. Dreizehn Tierarten wurden festgestellt, unter ihnen Kamas, ri:itlichgraue Antilo­ Visscher, M. B. (1967) Medical research pen, Wasserbi:icke, etc. Die Verbreitung der grossen Saugetiere scheint durch fol­ and ethics, J Am Vet Med Assoc gende Faktoren bestimmt: Zuganglichkeit zum Ogun Fluss (der bedeutendste Was­ 199:9. serlauf im Reservat), Vorhandensein von Nahrung und Deckung und das Ausmass il­ Figure 4. Students giving preoperative care to their legaler Jagd. teaching dog. Students must be responsible for both Eine Analyse der Fragebi:igen, die an die Einwohner verschiedener Di:irfer in der pre- and postoperative care of animals. Umgebung des Reservats verteilt wurden, vermittelte die Information, dass diese Menschen hauptsachlich von Fleisch aus dem Busch fur ihren Tierprotein-Bedarf ab­ hangen. Sie verwenden auch andere Tierprodukte, um ihre wirtschaftlichen, sozialen T.A. Afolayan and S.O. Salami are at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Forestry Build­ ing, University of Jbadan, lbandan, Nigeria. K.R.N. Milligan is at the International Livestock Centre for Afri­ ca, Kaduna, Nigeria. 33 32 /NT I STUD ANIM PROB 4(1) 1983 /NT I STUD ANIM PROB 4(1) 1983 ! ' T.A. Afolayan-Large Mammals in Upper Ogun Original Article T.A. Afolayan-Large Mammals in Upper Ogun Original Article und kulturellen BedUrfnisse zu decken. Es wird empfohlen, dem Wildtierreservat fUr N mindestens fUnf Jahre ausreichend Schutz zu gewahren. Nach dieser Periode konnte diese Gegend wieder dem Tourism us freigegeben und eine kontroll ierte J agd in der Pufferzone urn das Reservat gestattet werden. ~,, t \ \ Introduction this area as a source of dietary protein, --==: Streams and it also plays a major role in traditional \ There is a paucity of information on \ medicine. =Roads the abundance and distribution of large \ The game reserve has suffered from \ --- Foot path mammals in Nigerian wildlife reserves indiscriminate hunting for a long time­ (i.e., the National Park and other game ® Rock & Hills most of the more valuable species are reserves), and much of the data that are G Ghost Village approaching extinction and are hard to available were obtained mainly from find. In summary, then, the main objec­ mere guesses made by casual observers tives of this study were to provide relia­ and visitors. Apart from Kainji Lake Na­ ble information on the abundance and tional Park, where some careful research distribution of large mammals in the re­ work has been carried out, the available serve and to investigate the impact of il­ information for other reserves is inade­ legal hunting by the local communities quate, unreliable, and insufficiently sci­ on the wildlife populations in the area. It entific for efficient management of a is hoped that this information will be game reserve. Even in Kainji Lake Nation­ useful in the formulation of a long-term al Park, where some general population management plan for the game reserve. studies have been carried out (Child, 1974; Pel ink, 1974; Milligan, 1979), no study has Study Area ru hill been conducted on the individual large­ Upper Ogun Game Reserve (Fig. 1) mammal species. Similarly, work in the with a total area of 1,100 sq km, is situat­ Yankari Game Reserve in the northeastern ed in the northwestern region of Oyo area of Nigeria performed by Sykes (pers. state, between latitudes 3 V2 and 4 V2 ° E comm.) and Geerling ( 1973) is not suffi­ and longitudes BVl and 9°N. The mean ciently comprehensive for developing a re­ annual rainfall in the reserve is about liable management plan for that reserve. 1,250 mm with a 5-month dry season (Nov­ Generally, very little is known about ember to March). The mean minimum and the wildlife populations of the 60 Nigeri­ maximum daily temperatures are about an wildlife reserves, which include the 0 20 and 34°(, respectively. The terrain is I Upper Ogun Game Reserve, the most im­ gently sloping, with some rocky hills and portant game reserve in the Oyo state of inselbergs located on the southeastern FIGURE 1 Physical features of Upper Ogun Game Reserve Nigeria. We therefore decided to investi­ section, along the boundary of the re­ gate the abundance and distribution of serve. animal populations in this reserve. A sec­ The main drainage system in the re­ ond reason for our selection of the Up­ serve is the River Ogun. It runs from per Ogun was its importance to the peo­ north to south and flows through the The reserve is situated at the north­ 1. Dense woodland and forest outliers ple living in the villages that surround whole length of the reserve. In addition, ern boundary of the forest-savanna mo­ 2. Mixed open savanna woodland; the reserve. Bushmeat (i.e., the flesh of several other streams can be found east saic. It lies in typical Southern Guinea Terminalia macroptera savanna wild animals) from this game reserve of the River Ogun. The soils are derived savanna woodland, with fairly dense wood­ 3. Ironstone and outcrop vegetation and from the surrounding forest reserves from undifferentiated basement complex land and forest outliers found in the south­ 4. Riparian grassland and fringing contributes immensely to the socioeco­ materials. These soils are generally sandy ern region (Geerling, 1973). In his analysis woodland, occupying the flood plains nomic and cultural life of the people. and are classified as feruginous tropical of vegetation, Geerling was able to identify and the areas along the River Ogun, There is a high demand for bushmeat in soi Is on crystal! ine acid rocks. the following principal vegetation types: respectively. 34 /NT I STUD ANIM PROB 4{1) 1983 /NT I STUD ANIM PROB 4{1) 1983 35 ! ' T.A. Afolayan-Large Mammals in Upper Ogun Original Article T.A. Afolayan-Large Mammals in Upper Ogun Original Article und kulturellen BedUrfnisse zu decken. Es wird empfohlen, dem Wildtierreservat fUr N mindestens fUnf Jahre ausreichend Schutz zu gewahren. Nach dieser Periode konnte diese Gegend wieder dem Tourism us freigegeben und eine kontroll ierte J agd in der Pufferzone urn das Reservat gestattet werden.