BOKI– An elephant sighting in the Butatong community of Boki Local Government Area of Cross River has ignited a wave of public concern and calls for the animal’s protection, highlighting the delicate intersection of wildlife presence and human settlement in one of Nigeria’s most biodiverse regions NEGROIDHAVEN has confirmed.
The elephant was captured on video roaming near residential and farm areas, with footage widely shared on social media platform Facebook by Boki Blog Africa on Tuesday. The post quickly garnered significant engagement, with dozens of comments and shares reflecting widespread public fascination and anxiety.
In the comment section, a recurring plea dominated the discourse: “They shouldn’t kill it,” wrote user Ransome Ajom, a sentiment echoed by several others including Comfort Kubua and Abaze Sandra Welcy. The spontaneous public appeal reflects a growing, though sometimes inconsistent, consciousness toward wildlife conservation in Nigeria.
The blog’s administrators provided key context, noting that the sighting occurred not far from a recognized wildlife conservation zone and the expansive Cross River National Park in Boki, a critical habitat for endangered species including forest elephants, gorillas, and chimpanzees. “There is a wildlife conservation area around Butatong,” clarified the page in a reply, suggesting the animal may have wandered from the park’s periphery.
Nollywood actress and influencer Shan George joined the conversation, adding her voice to the protection appeal. “They should not kill it and eat it o, it is harmless,” she commented, to which Boki Blog Africa responded, “Definitely.”
Despite the protective outcry, the incident also revealed underlying tensions. Some comments humorously alluded to the elephant as potential “bush meat,” with one user, Stella Owan, joking about “correct salad soup,” reflecting the real economic and dietary pressures in rural communities. Another user, Loveth Francis, shared a family anecdote about an elephant chasing her pregnant mother in the bush—a stark reminder of the real dangers and human-wildlife conflicts that can arise.
Forest elephants, a smaller subspecies of the African elephant, are classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Cross River State hosts one of their last viable populations in West Africa, making any sighting ecologically significant.
As of press time, officials from the Cross River National Park or the State Ministry of Environment have not issued a formal statement regarding the sighting or any intervention measures.
Observers have noted that the viral moment has nonetheless succeeded in placing a spotlight on the fragile coexistence between Boki’s communities and its rich natural heritage, serving as an impromptu public campaign for wildlife preservation in a region where biodiversity is both a treasure and a daily reality.
