The members of the community expressed their concerns on Friday at a workshop on Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply in Calabar, alleging that older women and children are the most vulnerable to the threats.
Residents of communities in Cross River State’s Boki and Akamkpa Local Government Areas have expressed concerns over straying gorillas and elephants endangering their lives and means of livelihood, which is basically farming.
The members of the community expressed their concerns on Friday at a workshop on Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply in Calabar, alleging that older women and children are the most vulnerable to the threats.
According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), the workshop was sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Mr Obeten Erasmus, a community leader in Boki, stated that while the animals were occasionally friendly, they still posed significant risks to the residents.
He warned that if the animals continued to destroy the community, residents would be forced to retaliate.
“They have destroyed some of our farmlands, leaving our entire efforts in ruins, if not checked, the people would start taking revenge on them.
“It is becoming regular for gorillas to leave their habitat in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Boki and saunter into nearby communities in search of food and could not trace their way back,” he said.
Addressing the issue, Dr Inaoyom Imong, WSC Director, Cross River Landscape, appealed to the communities not to retaliate.
“Don’t kill the animals. Elephants and gorillas are facing extinction, going by their few numbers. No one will be happy to see these animals killed as they are under protection,” Imong said.
He urged the government to take action to protect the animals, claiming that the number of gorillas and elephants in the area has been increasing.
“It is the government that ought to ensure that the National Parks in the state which are gazzetted as protected areas are held as such,” he added.