When one thinks of Africa, its spectacular wildlife, especially its large mammals, immediately comes to mind. While the big five are primarily associated with eastern and central Africa, some of them still roam the less densely populated forest and grassland areas of the west. Ivory Coast could not have gotten its name without elephants and these, the largest of all land animals, figure prominently in traditional Ghanaian oral literature. Therefore, with some enthusiasm, while residing in Kumasi in the 1970s, he looked forward to visits to the zoos in Kumasi and in the capital, Accra.
The visit to the Kumasi Zoo took place in early 1971, when Ghana was still relatively prosperous. Of course, people at the time complained about widespread poverty and corrupt administration, but compared to what happened a few years later, these were happy days under the democratic rule of Prime Minister Dr. Kofi Busia. At least they could still afford to feed the animals. There weren’t too many to feed and what there was seemed to have been donated by zoos in other countries. Running towards the elephant enclosure, one expected to see magnificent creatures from the African plains. The only specimen on display was magnificent enough but its ears were too small. It came from India, a gift from the Indian government.
Eager to find some local animals, he began a search for something that came from Africa, and especially from Ghana. Memory has faded for more than forty years, but crocodiles are well remembered. Although they were described as being of the variety associated with the Nile River, they were said to have been mined from the waters of the Volta. The rather small specimens huddled in a congested pond were not nearly as impressive as the supposedly tame monsters that entertain tourists by emerging from the sacred pool at Paga at a call and the lure of a chicken. No doubt crocodiles have a soft spot for pigs too, and the only truly local animal remembered from the Kumasi Zoo visit in 1971 was a wild pig or boar said to be indigenous to Ashanti forests. In summary, the Kumasi Zoo at the time could be described as a brave attempt to run a small provincial zoo on a budget in a young developing country.
The visit to the Accra Zoo came several years later, when the economy had been ravaged by the kalebule under the Acheampong military regime. The effect of the economic decline was such that it presented a situation that left few people unmoved and filled animal lovers with despair. Perhaps the less said the better, but the mind cannot dispel the pitiful spectacles of a dead giraffe stretched out to its full length in its restricted enclosure and a male lion barely able to stand on its feet with large pleading eyes and a skeletal build. It was clear that at a time when every human being was hungry, there was nothing to spare for the animals. If resources were allocated to the zoo, they probably went to feed the keepers and their families. It was amazing that the zoo remained open to the public under such conditions.
Hopefully, Ghana’s zoos have improved since the 1970s. However, the modern visitor intent on studying the local fauna is advised to head north to Mole National Park, where wildlife has been protected over a wide area for several decades and there are reasonable prospects of seeing elephants and baboons free in the wild. habitat. For those looking for a special thrill, there is always the opportunity to travel to the far north of Ghana and pet the last of the dinosaurs on the shores of the sacred Paga Pool.