Ghana has been preparing for a new law this year to deepen wildlife and biodiversity conservation, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Benito Owusu-Bio said on Tuesday.

The law would replace the Wild Animals Preservation Act, which was passed in 1961, the minister said in an interview at the 2020 World Wildlife Day celebration.

"The new law will surely make a positive impact on our biodiversity management, not only in the protection of wildlife, but also the education of the public, and even the right to own and rear some of the animals," Owusu-Bio said.

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Ghana currently has 16 protected areas and six national parks hosting diverse species such as leopards, lions, buffalos, baboons, snakes, and antelopes, among others.

Bernard Asamoah-Boateng, acting executive director of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, said new wildlife crimes and new realities were emerging in the sector.

"I would like to let Ghanaians and the whole of humanity understand that the value of wildlife does not end in the cooking pot. Instead, wildlife is life, wildlife is culture, wildlife has medical value and environmental value," Asamoah-Boateng said.