Uniuyo wildlife expert pays tribute to mum, mentor

An Associate Professor, Wildlife Resources Management/Herpetology and Head Wildlife Ecology Unit in the Department of Forestry and Natural Environmental Management in the University of Uyo, Dr. Edem Eniang has attributed his success in wildlife management to dedication and guidance of his late mother, Madam Nyong Archibong Eniang who passed on recently. Dr. Eniang who is renowned expert in Snakes management said his late mum mentored him on wild preservation before he backed it up with academic credentials. He recalled many skills of taming wildlife taught by the departed mother such using fresh onions to bring out crabs from their holes, tactics of escaping snake bites, methods of constructing scarecrows to dissuade primate in the farm. In his tribute, the associate Professor described his late mother as an Incredible Lioness, Greater than Blue Diamond. In his words ,”My mother, my angel,, a mother greater than blue diamond, the originator of a thousand Efik /Ibibio proverbs and idiomatic expressions. My Goddess when she is working in the tropical rain forest of southern Nigeria! The mother who taught me the rudiments of forests and wildlife conservation. The great grand -mother hen whose legs never hurt her chicks. My mother who took all the risks to keep me alive during the Nigerian civil war when other mothers threw away their malnourished, sickly and crying babies, whose cries they feared will potentially reveal their hideouts to marauding enemy soldiers. You kept me against the admonition of other women who assured you that after the civil war, you would probably her more children. You were mocked for my sake but you had long suffering and refused to dump me for the dogs and vultures to devour. You chewed palm kernels and used the milk to oil my dry and harmattan scorched skin. Yes with native intelligence you taught me perseverance, honesty, respect and love. The ‘incredible lioness’ that will dare any adversary to protect her children. You stayed the longest in the farm amongst community women. Even when thunder storms were raging, you will insist it would not rain till we return from the farm. Alas, before we ever get near the farm we will be totally drenched yet you won’t give up or allow us to go back home! In the midst of all the toiling and moiling in the rain forest, you taught me the rudiments of wildlife ecology. You showed me the way to construct scarecrows to dissuade crop raiding primates like mangabeys. Mother taught me how to use raw onions to fish out land crabs from their holes. What more, you taught me how to avoid snake bites while setting traps or collecting forest resources for family. No formal education would have given me so much exposure and choice of my profession. You gave all to make me who I am today! Isaac Job, Uyo