Challenges of Wildlife Park Management in Kanji Lake National Park Ecotourism Destination, Nigeria

Abstract

Wildlife management is at the heart of wildlife tourism in any protected area. While some effort have been made to understand how wildlife is managed in developed and developing countries using quantitative approach, there is scarcity of such investigation using qualitative approach. Thus, this paper explored wildlife management practice in Kanji Lake National Park in Nigeria. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with staff of the park; they were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to examine and understand patterns in the transcript which led to generation of themes. The study revealed that the park is an embodiment of valuable animals that should be well protected for the growth and development of wildlife ecotourism. The main management practice are the free range method, patrol and camera capture approach. However, the management practice is faced with challenges which include use of obsolete equipment, lack of regular maintenance of patrol vehicles and personnel resulting from poor funding. Other challenges are illegal farming, hunting, logging and fishing. Based on these findings, the study recommended that there should be an effective public-private partnership of wildlife park management and rearrangement that encourages community participation in tourism development through the establishment of community based tourism enterprise and strict implementation of regulations guiding against illegal activities in the park.