Group vaccinates 12,000 animals in Bauchi against fatal infections.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is assisting the Wildlife Conservation Society in vaccinating 12,000 animals in the communities surrounding Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State.
Danbaba Kadala, the Livelihood Officer for WCS Yankari Landscape, announced the initiative in Gajin Duguri, Alkaleri Local Government Area, on Wednesday.
Kadala said, “This initiative aims to vaccinate over 12,000 cattle from neighbouring agro-pastoral communities against Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), thereby promoting public health, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods.”
He pointed out that Yankari Game Reserve is home to the largest remaining elephant population in Nigeria, estimated at 100.By addressing the effects of disease and the seasonal movement of livestock, this project aims to conserve African savanna elephants and their environment.
Humans, other domesticated animals, and nature are all seriously at risk from unvaccinated livestock. By collaborating with traditional pastoralist leaders to vaccinate 12,000 cattle, “this program will address these challenges by reducing the risk of disease transmission to wildlife inside the reserve and supporting sustainable livestock management practices,” he continued.
According to Kadala, this strategy will preserve Yankari’s abundant biodiversity and promote a feeling of collective reserve ownership, making the local agropastoral communities more resilient to both environmental and economic shocks.
Additionally, he disclosed that the WCS will actively involve local pastoralists in the vaccination process, hold educational workshops, and hold sensitisation meetings.
High-quality vaccines sourced from the National Veterinary Research Institute will be administered by experienced veterinarians over a 20-day period in January 2025 across 10 cluster communities.
On his side, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by his Special Adviser on Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL Project), Danjuma Adamu, expressed support for WCS initiatives. He advised pastoralists to embrace the immunisation practice for the benefit of all.
“You have no idea how much has been spent on these vaccines. This initiative benefits the animals, the pastoralists, and even us, as consumers of the meat. It is time we encouraged our kinsmen to support this exercise,” Adamu said.
Through science, conservation programs, education, and advocacy for nature conservation, the Wildlife Conservation Society works to protect wildlife and natural habitats around the world.
To accomplish this, WCS uses its global conservation program, which operates in about 60 countries, across all of the world’s oceans, and within its five New York nature reserves, which welcome 4 million visitors a year.
In Nigeria, WCS supports the conservation of Cross River National Park, Yankari Game Reserve, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Mbe Mountains from its country office in Calabar.
