Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo

The Sanda Kyarimi Zoological Park is situated within the metropolis along the ever busy Shehu Laminu Way in Maiduguri. Sandwiched between the state’s High Courts premises and the business district area, the park serves as daily sanctuary for hundreds of people who want to relieve themselves of the day’s stress in the city.

The park was established in 1970 initially, as a forest reserve, and then gradually it developed into a large wildlife sanctuary and a botanical park.The 42-acre park is house to a lot of the animal species of great beauty, color and sizes. The park not only provides hundreds of enthusiastic young boys and girls with the opportunity to see firsthand animals of various creations, it also serves as a leisure for people.A visit to the park reveals Maiduguri residents’ reverence of tranquility, peace and love for animals and the botanical nature, which are in abundance in the park.

The most attractive congregation was the monkey village. Parked with the beautiful red pandas, the village has several species such as the baboon, chimpanzee the tantalus monkeys.Squeaking at offerings by the visitors the fantas dances to the amusement of young boys and girls who troupe to catch a glimpse of the various species of the monkeys.



With several food items, the visitors commandeer the monkeys to their whims and caprices as they take pictures of the amazing creatures.Reserved and fuming, the chimpanzee - I was told that one of the oldest in the 42-year old park - would giggle at the offer of banana as the children, and even couples dangle with commodity to entice him.Another big attraction site was the lion den. Caged in an over 40-millimeter iron bars at the middle of another fence are the king and his wife. As elegant as ever, the lion as huge as a well fed horse lay in the shade of the cage uninterested of the many offerings by visitors interested in seeing them on the feet.

I was told by the guide that the lion only appears for the visitors in the cool early morning, or towards the sun set when the weather is favorable and less antagonizing.The Sanda Kyarimi Park is a microcosm of a national park with almost every known animal specy for sightseeing.From the Crested Porcupine (Bushiya) to Deer, Bland Cafes, to Crocodiles, Hyenas, to the Pythons and all kinds of snake species, the park is a delight to visit and has served as a weekend toaster to hundreds of civil servants who are looking for a place to rest.



The elephants are another side attraction in the park, drawing the attention of several visitors who thronged the area to feed the gullible creatures and some daring ones to even climb them.Several senior civil servants were seen whiling away time during the weekend and some of them described the place as tranquil, and “just what any resident need at a time like this.”