By Musa MAZAN KWARAI
Who did the animals at Kano Zoo told they’re not comfortable there? What about Trees? Did they also complain? There is no place in the whole of Kano city that has a high density of vegetation as the Kano Zoological garden. One of the numerous beauties nature has blessed us with is a vegetal cover, comprising of trees, shrubs, and grasses which are very much important and necessary for life. Vegetation, especially trees are important to man and his environment in a variety of ways.
Carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases that is, when injected into the atmosphere makes it possible for shortwave electromagnetic radiation to reach the surface of the earth but traps the longwave (terrestrial) radiation from escaping to the sky thereby making the earth surface hot, a phenomenon referred to as GLOBAL WARMING. Trees are very good at sequestering the ocean of carbon dioxide we inject into the atmosphere which are responsible for making the earth surface relatively hotter than it should be
We were taught in our elementary science that green plants use carbon dioxide and give us oxygen during photosynthesis. This is a pointer to the importance of vegetal cover to us and our environment. That is to say, trees are blessings to us because of the roles they play in reducing the ocean of carbon dioxide we inject as a result of urbanization and industrialization. In environmental science, humans are advised to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere through a variety of processes such as the adoption of clean sources of energy for our vehicles, domestic and industries, for example, the use of biofuels, use of solar, wind and hydro energy. In addition to this, reduced deforestation and massive tree plantings are always advocated.
It was estimated that carbon dioxide level has increased from 288ppm (parts per million) to 382ppm from the pre-industrial period to 2006 worldwide and this is forecast to skyrocket as long as humans live on the planet earth, however, with better practices, the menace can be managed as contained in many UN protocols and treaties such as Montreal and Kyoto protocols.
Another beauty of vegetation does not stop at aesthetic beautification of the environment and purification of the earth’s atmosphere from harmful effects of pollutants but is also one of the major contributors to the hydrological cycle.
Relocation Of Kano Zoological Garden: Decimating The City’s Air Purification
Vegetation contributes to a high percentage of water molecules through the process of transpiration and or evapotranspiration. This helps in transferring water molecules from vegetation through the stomata in their leaves to the sky. These water molecules converge with other molecules from other phenomena such as evaporation from water bodies (lakes, oceans, seas, rivers), condense and form precipitation in any of it forms (rain, snow, hail, drizzle) as the case may be which later ends as surface or underground water. The process goes on and on; hydrological cycle.
Another role of vegetation has to do with the moderating effects of the water molecules (from transpiration) to the immediate environment is adding to cloud content (mostly water molecules).
The major content of cloud cover, water droplets comes from the vegetal cover as pointed earlier. There is always a moderating effect in an environment with lust vegetation when compared to another environment that is devoid of vegetation. These droplets inform of, moderate the effects of sunlight (short wave radiation) from penetrating the atmosphere, thereby making the surface cooler than it should during the day time when radiation is more active and in turns trap the outgoing longwave (terrestrial radiation) from escaping, there by moderating the low night temperatures (nights are always colder due to the fact that all the supposed energy that entered into the earth must have escaped to the sky- heat lost). This is very much practical if someone compares two environments; one with lush vegetal cover with another one that is devoid of vegetation. This is the case if we take for example the thick forests of southern Nigeria and its northern counterpart especially as one approaches the Niger republic. The same applies to the southern tip of Kano along Riruwai in Doguwa local government and Kano city.
One can go on and on to downscale these examples to a local level; say looking at Kano city (where there are very little trees) and the outskirt of the city such as places like APCU quarters, Janbulo, BUK new and old campus, FCE Kano and many other places especially government ministries within Kano.
With the above benefits of vegetation and the fact that the Kano Zoo is one of the few places that has a high density of trees standing for decades, we should be very careful and at the same time trade with cautions when taking any decision concerning this important place. The Ministry of Environment should at this juncture guide our decision and policymakers on the danger of destroying our vegetation.
It did not come to me as a surprise when I first heard of the news that the Kano Zoo will be relocated due to some reason. My worry was the justification given by the government side that; the animals are not comfortable with the sound of human activities within the environment.
How can any human give such a justification for relocating the garden that has been in the same place for decades, something every citizen of Kano has right over. Even if they find it deem to do that, they need to provide more concrete reasons and conduct public opinion to do that.
The issue of Kano Zoo is never the same as that of Triumph publishing company, Daula Hotel and many other public landed properties sold by the Kano state government because of this concerns all of us and the environment itself.
A Zoologist friend of mine during a conversation said; Musa so all you care about is the trees in the Zoo, not even the animals? I smiled and said to him the animals are mobile and would be fine everywhere they are relocated to, especially the Tiga/Bagauda axis (although the state government will experience a decline in revenue due to proximity) as I heard but what about the trees standing there for decades and the ecosystem services they provide? Can they be relocated as well? Definitely, if we allow this to happen, the Zoo land would be converted to commercial or residential land which means all the trees will be cut down thereby losing all the benefits they serve to us and the environment.
The Kano Zoo is one, if not the only decent public garden left for us the ‘Talakawas’ to enjoy. My very big question to those that want to sell off the Kano Zoo for whatsoever reason is; can they relocate the animals and leave the garden with the beautiful trees most of which are indigenous for us since I understand their compassion for animals?
Lastly, I am appealing to the executive governor of Kano to please in the name of Almighty Allah to look into the yearnings people that have written on this matter. We are good citizens of Kano and we understand that the idea to convert this important place may not necessarily be his but he has the veto power to stop any policy that can harm his people. I believe that some potential benefactors wrote you a memo on this idea. Please listen to us not them on this and Insha Allah you’ll not regret it.
Musa Mazankwarai, Mazan Kwarai Quarters, Kano (eltankomusa@yahoo.com)
