Characterization of Wildlife Habitats in Sambisa Game Reserve, Borno State

Sambisa Game Reserve in Borno State, located within Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, was formerly a colonial hunting reserve and later gained international notoriety due to insurgency activities. Despite its ecological significance as a large semi-arid woodland habitat, scientific documentation of the reserve's wildlife and vegetation resources is almost entirely absent from recent literature. This study characterizes the major wildlife habitats of Sambisa Game Reserve using satellite image analysis supplemented by interviews with former reserve staff, hunters, and community members who have lived in the area. Sentinel-2 imagery was classified to map the reserve's vegetation communities, identifying Sudan savanna woodland, riverine gallery forest along the Ngadda River tributaries, and degraded shrubland as the dominant habitat types. Interviews revealed historical accounts of large mammal populations, including elephant, African wild dog, lion, and roan antelope, though recent sightings of these species are unconfirmed. The study documents ongoing habitat degradation driven by charcoal production, cattle grazing, and historical clearance activities. The importance of restoring Sambisa as a functional wildlife reserve following the reduction in security threats is discussed in the context of Borno State's post-conflict recovery and economic diversification agenda. The study recommends a formal wildlife assessment expedition and rapid biodiversity survey as an immediate next step for conservation planning. Keywords: Sambisa Game Reserve, habitat characterization, Borno State, North East Nigeria, semi-arid wildlife