This was an excursion I had with classmates in High School. It’s over a decade now, but the memories are alive. This is the report I wrote but with slight editing. I can see how much my writing voice has changed.

Our excursion was to the Songhai Zoological Garden, Owerri, Nigeria. The weather was mild and sunny. Our bus rode through the dusty hills leading to the garden. The dust followed the bus for miles. Now, those hills stood ageless like a wallpaper surrounded by green forests. I can still picture it all. At the entrance to the Zoological garden, I heard the growls and cries of different animals. My excitement then knew no bounds, for I was a wildlife and forest lover. A ranger picked us up from the truck as we descended. After introductions, he took us around the Farm. It took a while before we moved over to the zoo. We then proceeded to the first cage at the Zoological Garden. The first animal we saw was the spotted Hyena. I remember the sign displaying its Zoological name as “Crocuta Crocuta.” And there it stood, staring at us. I won’t be tutored much about this exotic creature—with red glowing eyes and those ferocious tattoo-like facial looks—it could pass for a demon. We moved on to the next cage, and there were some delicate peacocks. Each tries to display their feather. The next cage held an African Python—the skin designed with black, red, and white stripes. We walked around its cage, listening as the snake hissed. We saw wild pigs and lots of Nile crocodiles. The African Civet was sleeping during the day, Giant Rats rummaging through their cages, West African Dwarf Crocodiles lazying about on their mini pond, various rodents, and exotic bird species like the Crown Birds and Ostriches.

The sight that amazed me most was the different species of monkeys the garden kept: Baboons, Chimps, Rhesus, and other miniature monkeys. It was a place to be, and I enjoyed the coke. There are many farms, Zoological/Botanical gardens, parks, and resorts in West Africa. If you visit, don’t forget to check one out.