Nigeria’s fast vanishing biodiversity due to drought， deforestation， over-grazing， soil erosion and land degradation， has led to the severe 17）depletion of its wild life. Current estimates suggest that there are less than 100 lions left in the Nigerian wild. The rest have been killed by hunters or driven out by loss of habitat.
Similarly， the 18）pygmy hippo which used to be found only in the 19）Niger Delta is now practically extinct， thanks to hunters and environmental pollution. The elephant population has been reduced to a few hundred and our giraffes， extinct. Indeed， Nigeria now imports animals for its zoos.
And then came Ebola…
Since the revelation that the Ebola virus is harbored by primates and other animals， hunters and bushmeat sellers have seen a sharp drop in their businesses from falling 20）patronage. It seems that the only way Nigerians will stop eating bushmeat is when their lives are in danger.
The appetite of Nigerians for bushmeat has fuelled demand for， and led to a systematic 21）obliteration of our wildlife， not just in Nigeria， but in neighboring countries as well， because we also import bushmeat. The array of wild animals once common have disappeared due to commercial 22）poaching， lack of wild life protection policies and man-made and natural causes.
As tragic as the loss of human life from Ebola is， for wildlife， the epidemic deliberately brought into Nigeria by Liberian-American bioterrorist Patrick Sawyer has been a respite. The government has tried to discourage the hunting and consumption of wildlife for decades， 23）to no avail， but Ebola has succeeded in a few weeks.
While the argument that not everyone can afford to buy meat may be tenable， the fact is that bushmeat is often more expensive than mutton， especially in urban areas， so the issue is more about 24）palates than principles.
As long as the attitude of Nigerians to wild animals is that of something to be killed， and if edible， eaten， then more species of wildlife will disappear from the country. The notion of an animal being rare and endangered is almost totally alien—as is any talk of preserving them.