After walking 20km through the forest I will have seen only a few signs of animals. I get excited by the unidentified rumbling of leaves in a tree, the scratches left by a porcupine at the base of a tree, and occasionally, the distant call of a monkey. However, once I reach the communities surrounding these forests, I am guaranteed to see the animals I had searched so longingly for. Nigerian #wildlife is heavily hunted as #bushmeat and animals can be extremely difficult to see within forests. Unfortunately, many animals are most readily visible in communities where they are kept to sell as part of the #pettrade or until they are ready for consumption. They are often highly stressed and in poor physical condition. Their health status threatens their survival and puts humans at risk of wildlife diseases. This gallery is a collection of images of forest animals living in villages.
Updated from 2017 post