WATCH: ₦500 zoo tour leaves family face-to-face with cement lions and crocodiles in Yola

• A family paid ₦500 each to visit a zoo in Yola, Adamawa State.

• They were surprised to find cement crocodile and lion statues instead of live animals.

• The viral visit has sparked jokes and questions about low zoo fees, poor maintenance and Nigeria’s struggling zoo industry.

A family’s visit to a zoo in Yola, Adamawa State, has sparked laughter and debate online after they appeared to discover that some of the animals behind the fences were made of cement.

The family reportedly paid ₦500 per person to enter the zoo, expecting the usual experience of seeing live animals. Instead, a video from their visit showed painted animal statues, including a crocodile and a lion, sitting inside seemingly empty enclosures.

In the clip, a woman and child approach what initially appears to be a crocodile enclosure.

“The first thing that welcomed us is this crocodile,” the person recording the video says.

For a moment, the family appears to think they are looking at a real animal, until reality hit them right in the face. 

The crocodile, however, is made of cement.

The camera then moves towards another enclosure, where a painted lion statue is waiting. “Hello, lion,” the person says before adding, “Yola, why now?”

The experience becomes even more amusing when the narrator questions the cost of the visit.

“₦500 to build this. In this economy.”

Many Nigerians found the situation hilarious, particularly the moment the family realised that the seemingly impressive crocodile was actually a cement sculpture.

Behind the laughter, however, lies a bigger issue. 

For a facility advertised as a zoo, visitors reasonably expect to see living animals. Statues and decorative structures can certainly be part of a zoo, but they cannot replace the actual wildlife experience.

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And that raises an uncomfortable question: what exactly can ₦500 realistically provide in today's Nigeria?

At first glance, ₦500 might seem like an affordable admission fee, especially for families looking for a cheap day out. But maintaining a functioning zoo is far more expensive than simply opening its gates.

Live animals require food, veterinary care, secure enclosures, trained handlers, cleaning, water, security and regular maintenance. 

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Even basic operational costs can quickly run into hundreds of thousands or millions of naira.

So, while visitors may understandably feel disappointed after paying to see animals and finding statues instead, there is also a bigger problem that should not be ignored.

That is, ₦500 is not enough to run a zoo.

A ₦500 admission fee is hardly a sustainable business model for a modern zoo, particularly if the facility is expected to properly feed, treat and house live animals.

But low funding cannot become an excuse for allowing zoos to deteriorate into poorly maintained attractions where visitors are left wondering whether they have paid to see wildlife or concrete sculptures.

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If a zoo cannot afford to maintain live animals, it should be transparent about what visitors will find inside. 

And if public authorities own or oversee such facilities, there should be proper funding, monitoring and standards to ensure that they remain genuine centres for wildlife conservation and education rather than neglected tourist sites.

After all, a zoo is supposed to do more than entertain.

It should help people understand wildlife, encourage conservation and give children an opportunity to see animals they may otherwise only encounter in books or on screens.