Defending the Endangered Species

Whether for economic, cultural or nutritional reasons, the activities of hunters of wild animals and traders in the so- called Bushmeat business pose a great danger to the survival and preservation of these animals, which are currently under threat of extinction.

Grasscutter domesticated in Nigeria

Animals hunted from the wild include, the gorillas,antelopes,elephants,snakes and even grasscutters.According to the Species Survival Network(SSN) of the Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria,there are over 200 species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora native to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Restaurants and eateries in various parts of the country are the regular customers of the Bushmeat traders.
In addition to getting relevant legislation to protect these species,today's science is proffering smart solutions to the age-long problem.The DNA barcoding is a new technology that enables easy identification of biological species using a very short genetic substance from the cell from any part of the body of the animal . The identification of these biological properties makes it easy decipher the presence of species droppings or unidentifiable remains, the management of captive populations, repatriation of confiscated animals and enforcement of national and international regulations regarding the trafficking of animals and their parts.
Nigeria is a member of the Barcode of Wildlife initiative and one of the six countries benefiting from the Google-CBOL grant of the Barcode of Wildlife Project(BoWP), a multi-sectoral project, being coordinated by the National Biotechnology Development Agency