Kano –  Kano State Zoological Garden is threatened by gross under funding, an official said.

Malam Aliyu Lawan, the  Director of Zoological Services in the State Zoological Garden and Wild Life Management Agency,  said in Kano on Tuesday that  the major constraint of the organisation  was poor funding.

Lawan said the little revenue generated from gate fees and subvention from the state government was  inadequate to run the zoo.

“We need to have some modern facilities, such as modern enclosures and houses,” he said.

The director said there was a  need to provide  recreational and educational facilities in the zoo to boost its revenue.

“When the zoo was established in 1972, it was designed to conserve animals for people to see, render recreational services, serve as a research centre and provide practical educational instructions to students”.

He  said the zoo currently had 58 different species, consisting of 300  animals.

“Some of our animals are old and we need more species, such as leopard, cheetah, zebra and rhinoceros,” Lawan said.

The director said that Kano zoo was the second of its kind in West Africa after Cote d’Ivoire’s and was accredited by the Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

The habitats for  animals in the zoo are old and need  rehabilitation. (NAN)