The research aimed at examining the impact of poaching activities in the Yankari
game reserve which is the most significant habitat for elephants in Nigeria. The problems
faced is the managing the tourists, and wildlife poaching by the local community due to the
prevailing economic condition of the villagers that surround the reserves. Secondary data
were extracted from Yankari Game Reserve. Both linear and non-linear regression models
were adopted for the analysis. The result showed that the S-curvenon-linear model fitted the
number of poachers arrested data most and it can be used to model and predict the number
of poachers arrested, using the distance poachers travelled as an explanatory variable.
Evidence from the secondary data suggests that the involvement of local communities that
tend to provide temporary economic benefits will continue to threaten the existence of these
species spread across the country. The study concludes that the increasing pressure of
poaching activities is declining the population of elephants in the Yankari Game reserves.
The reserve is perhaps the most significant habitat for elephants in Nigeria. The study also
showed that the distance covered by the rangers (anti-poachers) is significantly related to the
number of poachers arrested in the study period. The study observed there is a strong
indication that elephant extinction by a human through poaching activities needs to be
addressed in Nigeria's protected areas. It thus recommend that the government and local
community need to collaborate to avoid the extinction of elephants in Nigeria by increasing
the distance covered by rangers and making the anti-poaching laws stricter.