Which of the following practices is a wildlife conservation method?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which option is a wildlife conservation method. Wildlife means wild animals (and plants) living in their natural habitat. So we need the practice that protects wild animals.

Step 2: Explain the concept Wildlife conservation means protecting and managing wild animals and their habitats so they do not go extinct. Common methods include:

• Creating game reserves, national parks, and sanctuaries (e.g., Yankari Game Reserve, Okomu National Park)
• Enforcing laws against hunting and poaching (illegal hunting)
• Controlling bush burning and deforestation
• Breeding endangered species in captivity

Step 3: Examine each option

• A. Use of cover crops: Cover crops protect the soil from erosion. This is soil conservation.
• B. Crop rotation: Growing different crops in turn on the same land maintains soil fertility and breaks pest cycles. This is soil or farm management.
• C. Mulching: Covering soil with organic material retains moisture and reduces erosion. This is also soil and water conservation.
• D. Discouraging poaching: Poaching is illegal killing of wild animals. Discouraging it directly protects animal populations. This is wildlife conservation.

Step 4: Answer Options A, B, and C are all agricultural or soil conservation practices. Only D protects wild animals directly.

Tip: Match the practice to what it protects. Soil, such as cover crops, mulching, and crop rotation, points to soil conservation. Wild animals, such as anti-poaching laws and game reserves, points to wildlife conservation.