Youths urged to tap AI, emerging tech to preserve wildlife

Experts have urged youths to tap Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to prevent endangered species from going into extinction.

Olajumoke Morenikeji, a professor at the Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan (UI) maintained that the youths must harness the power of AI for the preservation of wildlife, especially endangered species such as the pangolins.

Making the call during the celebration of World Pangolin Day 2025 organised by the Pangolin Conservation Guild Nigeria with the theme: ‘Youth Legacy for Pangolin Conservation’, she said the celebration was to create awareness about pangolins.

Morenikeji urged Nigerians not to let the mammal go extinct as it will create an imbalance in the ecosystem, biodiversity loss, and negatively affect the general well-being of humans.

Also, she urged the government to do more in enforcing the laws that are in place to protect species that are endangered.

“We are using today to create awareness that will help the pangolin survive. Pangolins help control insect populations, particularly ants and termites, preventing infestations and maintaining soil health,” Morenikeji said.

She said by digging for food, pangolins naturally aerate the soil, which improves nutrient cycling and plant growth. As part of the food chain, they contribute to a balanced ecosystem, serving as prey for larger predators.

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She explained that despite their ecological importance, they are critically endangered due to poaching and habitat loss, making their conservation vital.

“So, we must begin to think critically about how to save every animal that is endangered so that we can have a balanced ecosystem,” she added.

“We have laws in place protecting these endangered species, but enforcement is the issue. The government has to do more to enforce the laws. All the agencies that are connected to protecting our wildlife should brace up.

In addition, when we tell people to stop hunting and selling pangolins, there must be an alternative for them, something to fall back on. There is a need for the provision of alternative livelihood for hunters and bushmeat sellers,” Morenikeji said.

Also, Oluwakayode Coker, a doctor at UI, said pangolin is the most illegally traded mammal in the world.

He warned that pangolins could go into extinction if necessary steps are not taken to stop their hunting and killing.

According to Coker, everyone must guard against the extinction of pangolins because many people especially foreigners are taking as many as they can from our wild and all hands must be on deck to stop the overexploitation of pangolins.

He said: “Pangolin, of course, is the most illegally traded mammal in the world. We are fighting to make sure that these animals are not wiped out.”

“We have to guard against the extinction of these animals because a lot of people are coming into the country to take as many as they can from our wild and we need to join hands together especially the youths to make sure that this trend is stopped,” he added.

Coker explained that youths are engaged because they are the future and have the technical knowledge of how to ensure that more people are reached.

“I want to urge them to use every available technology such as AI to ensure that endangered species are protected,” he said.

Coker said that it is possible to stop the hunting and trafficking of pangolins and other endangered species by stopping the demand.

“The demands are mostly from the Asian countries. Studies and research have shown that our people here also use pangolins for traditional medicine because they believe it has some mystical powers. They believe their scales can be used to cure cancer and several other diseases, but no scientific research has proven this,” he stated.

He said that when any animal goes extinct, the human population itself begins to feel the impact on the ecosystem.

Other stakeholders who spoke at the event emphasised the importance of preserving the pangolins and all other endangered species, noting that the ecosystem needs all the animals to be balanced.