A hyena is on the loose in the Northcentral Nigerian city of Jos after escaping from Jos Wildlife Park. The state tourist board has assured concerned residents that drones and rangers are actively searching for the animal.
The circumstances of the hyena’s escape from its cage at the park remain unclear. However, a zoo worker emphasised that the chances of the hyena attacking people are slim. “Hyenas are very fearful of humans – the animal is more likely to run away than attack,” said Abba Gandu, a veteran zookeeper with 50 years of experience working with lions and hyenas at Kano Zoo in the north of Nigeria.
He added, “It normally excretes when scared, and I foresee that happening when people finally get to it.”
Despite these reassurances, many Jos residents remain fearful. Hamisu Bala, a resident, expressed particular concern for those living near the wildlife park, worried they might encounter the hyena.
Wildlife escapes are not new in Nigeria. In 2015, a four-year-old lion was shot dead after escaping from the same park. At the time, police reported that the lion was hostile during attempts to return it to its enclosure. Similarly, in 2019, a lion in nearby Kano state escaped while rangers were trying to return it to a cage after a national agricultural show. It was found after hours of searching.
