A day Inside the OOPL’s Lion’s Den

Lion at Wildlife park in the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential library in Abeokuta
A day Inside the OOPL’s Lion’s Den

On Monday, 2nd November, 2017, the OOPL Wildlife Park opened to the public with zoo enthusiasts adopting and christening some of the animals in the park.

“Welcome to the Wildlife Park. I am Ore,” said the dark lady attendant at the zoo with a smile that I interpreted as mocking my leisureless life.

Ruth, my companion, jumped to her back and nodded in the direction of the colourful peacock in the cage closest to the entrance.

I would have none of that.

I needed to see the Lions, two of which, I learnt, had been christened Aremu and Ade respectively.

There they were, busy with their food which they had welcomed with the roar. I felt like one of them as Ruth rested her head on my shoulders fearfully.

I should adopt one of them, perhaps.

Ore had explained the adoption (Animals Depend On People too = ADOPT) process.

According to her, it involves signing up for a renewable period of one year with a sum that varies from one million Naira upwards. When you adopt an animal, it is named after you. There are different adoption levels – the keeper, the guardian, the friend, and the family levels.

Next to the lions were the Hyenas, gallantly beholding us. They had just reproduced four cubs which had been duly separated to another cage.

It was good to get acquainted with the terribly endangered spotted hyena species that are now multiplying in this park like twins in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State – a feat Ore explained as a result of the conscious efforts of the OOPL management.

We went to the other areas of the park like the Avian section hosting several species of duck, the local, the white-faced whistling Duck, Malad’s duck, and other birds like the Pelican and the Peafowl. There was also the Duiker.

We were running out of time; we needed to be at Rounda Fun Spot, the games centre, to enjoy some games together before we called it a day.

There are simply too many exciting things to see at this Wildlife Park of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

The Camels, Pythons, Horses and the Baboons will have to wait till our next visit!

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