Located in Bauchi State, Sumu wildlife park is one of the most exciting natural destinations that is particularly attractive to people who crave going on wild trails and seeing wildlife.
By Ben Torlafia
Sumu Wildlife Park could potentially become one of Nigeria’s finest tourist attractions. Sited in the heart of Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, in the North East of Nigeria, Sumu Wildlife Park somewhat leans on the popularity of the Yankari Game Reserve due to shared proximity.
What makes the park incredible is its over 350 acres of virgin forest reserve with beautiful, natural wild walking trails, an excellent draw to wildlife campers. The disposition of the inhabitants and animals freely roaming the park leaves nothing artificial to inhibit the instincts of the wild animals. Also, there are no buildings yet, except, of course, the watering holes and feeders strategically placed within the reserve, leaving more room for the animals. This makes it more interactive and natural as you walk around the bumpy dirt road or ride along, looking at the animals and sometimes getting close enough to feel and pet them.
This nature’s gift was formally opened in 2015 by the Bauchi State Government but was established in 2006 with the generous donation of large numbers of wildlife species from the Namibian Government. Records from the state’s archive show over 279 animals were donated, including 21 red hartebeests, 56 common impalas, 10 giraffes, 53 Burchell’s zebras, 23 blue wildebeests, 24 onyxes, 26 kudus, 52 springboks and 14 elands. The park is one of the newest tourist sites being developed by the government as part of its efforts at improving leisure, entertainment, and tourism in the state. It’s people-friendly, and you’re sure of a sighting of the majestic giraffes or grazing zebras. It is one of the most underrated tourist spots in Nigeria with a breathtaking safari park outpost.
The park has diverse undisturbed flora and fauna that would no doubt interest tourists with a knack for exploring the wild. Unfortunately, there are no structured tourism support facilities such as lodges or restaurants, save for the Wildlife Guards’ shack, which boasts of their operational vehicles that carry visitors on tour of the reserve. The Wildlife Guards’ area has several preserved animal skins and horns hanging on the walls. There is also cable television where they watch news and movies.
Though it is safe enough to roam the park, tourists would have to return 50 kilometres to Bauchi, the state capital to access the several good lodges and enjoy nightlife after a long day. Having read somewhere that the Sumu Wildlife Park is the perfect getaway spot for nature and wildlife lovers with lots of subjects to capture, we left Jos, the Plateau State capital early for the 114 kilometres journey to Bauchi.
In Bauchi, we stopped and had a chat with a versatile culture connoisseur, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, who is the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Director in charge of Bauchi State and also the immediate past President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). He linked us with the Ganjuwa Local Government Area Cultural Affairs Officer, Mallam Ibrahim who assisted us in getting to our destination. We took public transport which cost N350 each to Keffin Madaki, a sleepy town in Ganjuwa Local Government Area after Keffin Liman, 40 kilometres from Bauchi. Mallam Ibrahim was already waiting for us when we got to Keffin Madaki. He was happy to receive us and also gave us tips on how to make the most out of our trip. He apologised for being busy with other engagements and had asked his friend and colleague, the Ganjuwa Local Government Area Information Officer, Mallam Gwani to be our guide. The locals were friendly people, willing to assist visitors who find their way around. Mallam Gwani helped us to negotiate with the keke-napep rider who conveyed us to the Wildlife Park for the sum of N3,500.
On the way to Sumu, he informed us that the keke-napep rider was kind enough to wait and take us on the ride back to town since it wasn’t easy to get a ride back to Keffin Madaki. He told us that bike riders usually charge between N1,000 to N1,500 per person for a single trip to the Sumu Wildlife Park.
Along the dirt road, our guide kept us engrossed with interesting stories about the legends of Sumu. He pointed far off to a direction on our right and told us about a Chinese mining company extracting glassy rocks in the area. We saw some of the Chinese engineers with their trucks afterward. After about 30 minutes, we branched off at a “Y” junction that headed to Sumu. Our guide pointed again to the forked road to our right and said it led to a small village called Bekin-Ruwa, which means Black-Water in English, named after a legendary black water pond in the village.
After about a 15-minute topsy-turvy ride, we were relieved to see a white signboard in the distance with the inscription, “WELCOME TO SUMU WILDLIFE PARK.” We were welcomed by the jovial park guards who spoke mostly Hausa. Our guide called out to a particular park guard who took us through the forest reserve in search of the animals. We were allowed to use our keke-napep because the guards’ operational vehicles were out of service. The roads were rough for the keke-napep despite the dexterity of the rider, so we had to park and trek quite a bit, following the animal trails in the reserve, dutifully staying close to the guard.
The animals were shy during our safari. Perhaps, this was due to the timing as it was already late. The guard called out severally to the animals but they seemed reluctant to be seen despite hitting their feeders loudly to attract their attention. He told us that if we had visited in the morning, we would have been able to watch them at close range.
After resting on a fallen tree trunk, we hurriedly finished our drinks and snacks. We rode back to Keffin Madaki, and thanked our guide for his hospitality, promising to return again soon. We flagged down a passing bus, boarded, and left for Bauchi as it got dark. Back in Bauchi, Mallam Denja hosted us to an evening of local delicacies and more interesting conversations before we bade him goodnight.
The Sumu Wildlife Park, if well managed and with interventions from the private sector, has the potential to attract a large number of tourists who crave to see nature in its undisturbed state and create thousands of jobs, while also contributing to Bauchi State’s economy.
If you want to experience the wildlife and local history of outback Bauchi, and let a giraffe or zebra or any of the many animals lead the way, please come along with your camera to take beautiful pictures and videos, wide-brimmed hat to ward off the heat, if it is during the dry season, sunscreen and snacks.
Bentex Torlafia, a poet and creative writer, is based in Agyaragu, Nassarawa State.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
