TheCable

The Wild Africa Fund says it has launched a new wildlife-focused TV series for kids.

In a statement on Saturday, Festus Iyorah, Wild Africa Fund’s Nigeria representative, said Dr. Mark Animal TV show is set to premiere on Silverbird TV on Saturday.

He said the show will educate children between 7 and 14 on Nigeria’s amazing wildlife and the need to protect them.

According to Iyorah, Nigeria has become a transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade of pangolin scales and ivory in the last few years.

He said these existential challenges have inspired the need for public awareness and educational materials that educate the general public, especially young people who are best equipped to save the environment for future generations.

“We hope that kids will be excited to learn about these animals and how we must protect them for their futures,” Peter Knights, the founder of Wild Africa Fund and the executive producer of the new TV show, said.

Knights said Dr. Mark’s Animal TV show will enlighten children on the human and ecology importance of wild animals such as pangolins, lions, African grey parrots.

“They will also learn fun facts about these animals, including domestic animals like dogs,” he added.

“A quiz is scheduled to inspire retentive knowledge in kids at the show’s end.
The animal show also comes at a time local content for children, especially on the environment, is nonexistent. In the past, Nigeria prided itself in producing exciting local TV shows for children like Tales by Moonlight. But in the last decade, there have been few of those around.”

Iyorah said: “We plan to invest in educational wildlife content that will empower children as the next generation of wildlife ambassadors.

“We expect children to impact their cycle of influence with what they learnt from watching the show.”

In the last 13 months, Nigeria Customs Services has made four major seizures of pangolin scales, ivory, and other wildlife parts in Nigeria. In addition, there’s also a growing appetite for bushmeat consumption, especially among urban dwellers in Nigeria.

Conservationists say illegal wildlife trade and a demand for bushmeat have sharply declined Nigeria’s wildlife and biodiversity. They estimate that Nigeria has fewer than 50 Lions, 100 Gorillas, 500 Elephants, and 2,300 chimpanzees left in the wild.