Chinedu Mogbo is a dedicated conservationist who works tirelessly to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife
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00:00 [CAT MEOWING]
00:02 There's always a feeling of joy whenever
00:08 I've been successful in rescuing any animals.
00:13 Every aspect of my job feels rewarding,
00:15 from taking care of the babies, having to wake up late nights
00:19 to ensure that these animals are well-treated for,
00:22 having to ensure that their habitats are well-prepared
00:25 and thoroughly furnished.
00:29 Every aspect, from the rescue to the release,
00:32 even the rehabilitation, there's always
00:34 unfulfillment in seeing these animals through the process.
00:40 And it's always the same feeling every single time
00:43 for each animal.
00:46 My name is Chinedu Mogo, and I am a wildlife conservationist.
00:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:54 [BIRDS CHIRPING]
00:57 Growing up, I always wanted to study veterinary medicine,
01:04 but I ended up studying the human medicine aspect.
01:09 And from there, I've been able to learn
01:11 about a lot of things that concern not just human life,
01:14 but animal life.
01:16 [CAT MEOWING]
01:19 I started wildlife rescue after I
01:21 had seen the state at which animals
01:24 were being treated in Nigeria.
01:26 There was a lack of education of our biodiversity,
01:30 our animals, even plants.
01:32 And I also saw how animals were abused,
01:36 and animals were used as food.
01:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:40 These animals, they are being killed and being
01:42 exploited for personal gain.
01:45 It's quite saddening to see these animals in such states.
01:48 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:51 This spurred my interest to pursue wildlife conservation
01:56 here in Nigeria.
01:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:00 The Greenfingers Wildlife Sanctuary
02:01 is a home for animals that have been rescued
02:04 from the wildlife trade.
02:05 Over the past 12 years, we have rescued over 1,000 animals.
02:09 These animals range from least concern
02:11 to critically endangered.
02:13 They include reptiles, such as snakes, crocodiles,
02:16 sea turtles, birds, and mammals, such as pangolins.
02:20 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:23 Most of the animals I rescue come from traditional markets.
02:27 Some are picked up from human-wildlife conflicts.
02:30 And I am called out to rescue some animals
02:33 within residential areas.
02:34 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:38 Not all rescued animals stay within the sanctuary.
02:42 Some animals spend a very short time, sometimes 24 hours,
02:46 while some stay here for many years.
02:49 For every animal habitat within the sanctuary,
02:51 we try and ensure that this habitat
02:54 fits the natural environment.
02:56 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:00 We try to give that animal a sense of being in the wild.
03:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:08 Since I started the sanctuary, I have trained, practiced,
03:12 learned, and I have become quite an expert
03:15 in handling numerous species we have here in Nigeria.
03:19 Before an animal is released into the wild,
03:22 we have to ensure that this animal
03:23 is able to thrive in the wild.
03:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:30 For sea turtles, we ensure that the sea turtle is healthy,
03:34 which includes that it's able to dive in water
03:37 and stay below water.
03:39 And the sea turtle is free from every kind of injury.
03:43 And it's also fed to ensure that it's feeding OK.
03:47 Before releasing, we take the sea turtle to the vet
03:50 to ensure these animals are given
03:52 the best treatment possible.
03:54 Many kinds of techniques which involve invasive surgery
03:58 are carried out by this vet doctor.
04:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:02 The challenges that we face in treating the rescued wildlife
04:07 animals are we don't know what to expect and when to expect.
04:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:16 Treating wildlife is never in the textbook.
04:19 So it's always trial and error.
04:23 The major challenges that we have seen
04:25 is injuries inflicted by humans.
04:28 Other than that is malnutrition.
04:31 It's very important that the veterinarians collaborate
04:35 with the wildlife rescuers because we
04:39 don't have the facility to rehabilitate them
04:43 in our facility.
04:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:46 Once the animal has attained a certain weight
04:48 and is able to care for himself, the animal
04:51 is released back into the wild immediately.
04:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:56 We ensure these animals are put into protected spaces,
04:59 patrolled by rangers to give the animal another fighting
05:03 chance for survival in the wild.
05:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:09 For some animals that could not go back into the wild,
05:11 we ensure that animal is well catered for
05:13 and we provide everything necessary to ensure the animal
05:17 thrives here in the sanctuary.
05:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:22 For the future, I am looking to ensure
05:24 that we are able to open up more sanctuaries across the country.
05:29 We are also raising awareness as much as possible
05:32 for the different biodiversity we have in the country.
05:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:37 I wouldn't say I've done enough because there's
05:40 so much more to be done.
05:42 We've been able to do so much with the space and the resources
05:47 at our disposal, but that's only a fraction
05:51 of what can be done in the grand scale for wildlife
05:54 here in Nigeria.
05:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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06:06 [BLANK_AUDIO]