A family's visit to a zoo in Yola, Adamawa State, has left many Nigerians in stitches after they paid ₦500 each to see live animals, only to find cement crocodile and lion statues instead.
Zoo-goers Left Baffled by Yola's '₦500 Wonderland'
A family reportedly paid ₦500 per person to enter the zoo, expecting the usual experience of seeing live animals. However, a video from their visit showed painted animal statues, including a crocodile and a lion, sitting inside seemingly empty enclosures.
"We paid 500 Naira per person to see animals at the zoo only to be shocked by these statues," a family member is heard saying in the video.
Screenshots from the viral video show the cement crocodile and lion statues, with many Nigerians taking to social media to share their amusement and disappointment.
Low Zoo Fees Raise Questions About Maintenance and Funding
The ₦500 admission fee has sparked jokes and questions about low zoo fees, poor maintenance, and Nigeria's struggling zoo industry. Many Nigerians have expressed concern that the low fee is not enough to cover the operational costs of maintaining a functioning zoo.
Live animals require food, veterinary care, secure enclosures, trained handlers, cleaning, water, security, and regular maintenance. Even basic operational costs can quickly run into hundreds of thousands or millions of naira.
A Bigger Problem Behind the Laughter
Behind the laughter, however, lies a bigger issue. If a zoo cannot afford to maintain live animals, it should be transparent about what visitors will find inside. And if public authorities own or oversee such facilities, there should be proper funding, monitoring, and standards to ensure that they remain genuine centres for wildlife conservation and education rather than neglected tourist sites.
A zoo is supposed to do more than entertain; it should help people understand wildlife, encourage conservation, and give children an opportunity to see animals they may otherwise only encounter in books or on screens.
Source: Pulse.ng
