Officers from a zoo in north-east Nigeria have confirmed that some wild animals had escaped from captivity after flooding hit Borno state.
Movies of a number of the creatures on the streets of the state capital, Maiduguri, have been broadly shared on social media.
Ali Donbest, who runs the Sanda Kyarimi Zoo, instructed the BBC that he doesn’t know precisely what number of animals are free however a hunt is on to find them. One ostrich has been discovered however he suggested residents to watch out.
Native media are reporting that Maiduguri is experiencing flooding on a scale that has not been seen for 3 a long time with many compelled to depart their houses.
Mr Donbest mentioned that there had been some success find a few of those who had escaped.
“We’ve been capable of recapture the ostrich seen on the road and we additionally received a name {that a} crocodile had been present in one other location however we can’t get there as a result of floods,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned the cages the place the lions and hyenas have been saved had been submerged by floodwaters however can’t inform if that they had escaped.
The zoo boss defined that the flood had broken a few of its partitions enabling the animals to roam free.
Nonetheless, not all of the creatures noticed on the streets could also be from the zoo.
“We received a report {that a} hippo was seen someplace and we don’t have hippos within the zoo, so the waters may additionally disperse animals from different areas too,” he mentioned.
Maiduguri resident Ishaq Sani instructed the BBC his largest concern for the time being is to come back throughout a wild animal.
He deserted his residence as a result of floods and is now staying with a good friend in one other location.
To date. there haven’t been any stories of animals attacking people.
That is the most recent incident in a collection of floods which have hit Nigeria lately. Greater than 170 folks have died and tens of hundreds have been compelled from their houses throughout the nation, Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Administration Company has mentioned.