NewStats: 3,263,200 , 8,179,387 topics. Date: Thursday, 05 June 2025 at 03:36 AM 181o1v

Sesan Olufowobi






A manatee , popularly known as sea cow, has been found in a riverine community in the Agboyi - Ketu Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

The Permanent Secretary , Ministry of Agriculture , Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, said immediately the ministry got the information, the state government moved to rescue the huge aquatic herbivorous mammal before residents could turn it to food.

He said the mammal was caught by the trap set by a fisherman in the area , adding that the government decided to rescue it because it was an endangered animal .

Onasanya said , “The mammal is an endangered species which breeds only a single calf once in two years. It is listed by the World Conservation Union as a specie vulnerable to extinction because of its meat , bones, and skin, which can bring wealth to poachers.

“ The mammals are in three species of West Indian, West Africa and Amazonia , with the highest population in Guinea -Bissau , the lagoon of Cote d’ voire, the southern portions of Niger River in Nigeria and the coastal lagoon of Gabon . ”

The permanent secretary added that the manatees measure up to 13 feet with as much weight as 590 kilogrammes , which graze on water plants in tropical seas and consume about 10 to 15 per cent of its body weight in vegetation .

He said the state government was committed to continuous formulation of policies geared towards the preservation of wild animals in order to boost the tourism potential of Lagos .

He noted that the manatee had been kept safely in the custody of Origin Zoo in the Ikorodu area of the state .

“ This animal can be a source of tourist attraction to the state if properly taken care of . To this end , the government has already taken all necessary steps in providing a conducive and habitable environment for the sea cow , ” Onasanya said .

The fisherman who trapped the mammal, David Oyenuro , said he was happy that the government rescued and had decided to preserve the animal .

He urged the government to continue to fishermen , saying their fishing implements get damaged when they encounter huge aquatic animals such as the manatee .

https://punchng.com/sea-cow-rescued-in-lagos/

Nice one from Lagos state government. It's not every animal that should serve as food. We should learn to conserve animal and give back to nature and yes, am almost tempted to say first to comment

Weekend meat Don show

You jus snatch food from people mouth because in this country we don't give a bleep

You are saving an endangered specie by putting it in a zoo? Haba naaaaau return it back to the sea if you want to help preserve it.

bigtt76:
You are saving an endangered specie by putting it in a zoo? Haba naaaaau return it back to the sea if you want to help preserve it.

I was going to say that, do we have facilities to care for such animal?? I think not.. The best thing to do is simply get a vet, do a health check and send it back to sea..

Kudos to the fisherman and rescue team, you hardly hear such good news, I was expecting to see manetee stewing in a pot already; thank God I was disappointed..

That's good idea from the government

Sea Cow? thats a first for me

hmmmmmm

Did the heardsmen see this?

But Lemmi ask,
why is COW attached to its name when it doesn't somewhat look like a cow to me. Maybe scientist lack words to name it when it was discovered. Then the person who named it was high and saw it like a cow

This animal always looks pitiably miserable on NatGeo Wild

This is a welcome development

Baroba:


I was going to say that, do we have facilities to care for such animal?? I think not.. The best thing to do is simply get a vet, do a health check and send it back to sea..

Kudos to the fisherman and rescue team, you hardly hear such good news, I was expecting to see manetee stewing in a pot already; thank God I was disappointed..

Una nor get respect for una country again o, which kind sophisticated facility dem need for fish??

Sea Cow

The camel in Abuja zoo would like to say something

Little they know that these animals feed on water Hyacinth which clogs canals .if there had been more of them we would have less flooding in Lagos .

He noted that the manatee had been kept safely
in the custody of Origin Zoo in the Ikorodu area
of the state .
“ This animal can be a source of tourist attraction
to the state if properly taken care of . To this end
, the government has already taken all necessary
steps in providing a conducive and habitable
environment for the sea cow , ” Onasanya said.

They had better killed this manatee and eat it, instead of this step of camping it for tourist attraction. We all know that they won't give it a needed nutritional and medical attention.

Aww... I’m impressed.

Ok

What a waste of quality pepper soup when there's huger in the land. Person wey dey hungry dey do conservation, Wetin concern vulture with barber?

FOOD IS READY

What is going to happen to the Manatee now?

rescue kwa?

Good

The animal will still die in their custody. Nigeria has no maintenance culture, the government is same as the people. They should allow the animal back to the sea to live it's life. Or else it will still die of hunger anyways , last last.
At the end it will be killed and eaten.

The government is simply postponing time and day of its death.
Nigeria I hail o!

really bad we losing some of these wildlife ehn

Chibuzoc:
The camel in Abuja zoo would like to say something