Animals of the National Parks of Ethiopia
The best national parks of Ethiopia to see animals are: Omo National Park, Gambella National Park, Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary and Nechisar National Park, of which just the last two are reasonably accessible. The national parks of Ethiopia are famous for endemic birds and mammals. A picture is worth a thousand words. Most of our hundreds of pictu
res are favored in Google! Because no other website has so many beautiful high resolution pictures, taken by ourselves. Our pictures not only show you the beauty of Ethiopia, but they also show that we go everywhere, photographing wildlife, plants, people and culture. They show our professionalism, our keen eye for detail and our passion for the culture and nature of Ethiopia. So why consider booking our our Ethiopia Culture & National Parks modules? Because we don't mislead you like many tour operators do. When the Blue Nile falls are dry.... we tell you. When fog clouds the lava lake of Erte Ale? We let you know. Just drop us a mail and we will check it out for you. Our tours take you to ALL famous cultural places of Ethiopia, and on top of that, you get to see up to 12 large nature reserves accompanied by a conservation forester. There is nothing similar on the market. As Ethiopia can be combined with other East African countries, we organize tours in modules. Destinations Overview: Historical Circuit; Danakil Depression; Eastern Route; Simien Mountains; Bale Mountains; Southern Parks Safari; Gambella; Addis Ababa. BUT WAIT: if you buy your international ticket with Ethiopia Airlines, they will sell the internal flights at a price that you can't even ride the bus for. But you MUST plan it all in one package and making changes may be very costly. So let us help you plan your entire trip and book your local flights for an incredibly low price after you booked your international flight with Ethiopian Airlines! Seasonally, the migration of the White-eared Kob, Kobus kob, is a dramatic spectacle to see as it forms the second largest mammal migration in Africa. Traveling across the open woodland bush in South Sudan at the end of the dry season, they visit the plains of the Baro and Gilo Rivers, where Gambella National Park is located, in search of open water and wetlands. More than a million of them are estimated to come to those wetlands on the border of South Sudan and Ethiopia each year, along with much smaller herds of Buffaloes and a scattering of Elephants and Giraffes. Of the "big five" (Elephant, Lion, Rhinoceros, Leopard, African Buffelo), the Rhinos have disappeared, but small herds of Elephants are still still present in Kafta Shiraro National Park and the Babile Elephant Sanctuary, where they are monitored with teletracking equipment. With more than 300 individuals, the Babile herd is the largest in the country. Of the three surviving Zebra species, two occur in Ethiopia, the Plains Zebra, Equus quagga, and the Grévy's Zebra, Equus grevyi . Formerly common in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, Grevy’s Zebra currently depends for its survival on Kenya and Ethiopia, with the populations in Ethiopia being greatly diminished. The Somali Wild Ass, Equus africanus somaliensis, is the only surviving race of Equus africanus and only about 100 individuals remain in the wild, migrating north-south along the Awash valley and Afar Depression into Eritrea. Swayne's Hartebeest was previously found in both Somalia and Ethiopia, but now it is restricted to Ethiopia only. The small surviving population is restricted to the grass and thorn scrub plains of the Rift Valley lakes region. The best known herd is about 100 head which inhabits an area of 400 sq. km in and near the Nechsar National Park. However, the largest known population is on the heavily settled plain of Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary, where a population survives of about 500 individuals. Ethiopia is home to the world’s only population of Walia Ibex, Capra walie, which is found only in and around the Simien Mountains National Park and classified as “endangered” according to the IUCN Red list criteria. Being down to 200 - 250 individuals in 1994- 1996, the population has recovered to 745 individuals during the 2009 count and is very visible in the park. The Mountain Nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni, is endemic to the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, south-east of the Rift Valley, between 6°N and 10°N. Formerly it occurred from Gara Muleta in the east to Shashemene and north Sidamo in the south, but has been eliminated from a large part of its former range. Currently, the main area of distribution is the Bale Mountains National Park and the eastern escarpments of the Bale massif. The Ethiopian Wolf, Canis simensis, is perhaps the most researched of all the endangered species of Ethiopia. Population estimates of the Ethiopian Wolf across the species’ range suggest that between 360 and 440 adult wolves remain, of which less than 250 are mature individuals. From a tourism point of view the Ethiopian Wolf is well-visible in most areas where it occurs and is a prized attraction for both Simien Mountains and Bale Mountains National Parks, as well as for the community parks where it occurs. Other canines include the Golden Jackal, Canis aureus, Black-backed Jackal, Canis mesomelas and the Side-striped Jackal, Canis adustus, are also widespread, and like many mid-size predators. While still occurring widely in Ethiopia, Striped and Spotted Hyenas, Hyaena hyaena and Crocuta crocuta, are common highlights for tourists. While the Striped Hyena is essentially a rural, solitary, lowland species, the Spotted Hyena is common on the plateau, and even in urban areas, including Addis Ababa. The spectacle of wild Spotted Hyenas being hand-fed outside the city walls of Harrar is a notable tourist attraction. The much smaller Aardwolf, Proteles cristata, is fairly common - though rarely seen - in the eastern lowlands, including Awash National Park. The three large African cats are still present in Ethiopia, albeit at severely reduced levels. The Black Mane Lion, Panthera leo abyssinica or Abyssinian Lion, a subspecies of the Lion, is revered in Ethiopia, where it symbolizes both the nation and the former emperor; it occurs on the national currency and is often depicted in statues. Abyssinian lions are smaller than their East African cousins and the males have distinguishable dark manes. Experts say only 1,000 Abyssinian lions remain in Ethiopia. No data are available on the common species. The number of known resident Cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus in eastern Africa (Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) is estimated at 2,500 adults and independent adolescents. In Ethiopia, the species occurs in the Danakil Depression, and other sources relate it to occur in the Ogaden desert, but no recent records from scientists could be verified. Reportedly, Leopards, Panthera pardus, are still widespread throughout Ethiopia, but no data have been found to corroborate such statements. The species is highly adaptable, and can be found from rainforests to deserts. With up to 4 cubs per litter, it has a high potential for survival under conditions of high mortality, such as high hunting pressure. The leopard consumes virtually any animal that it can hunt down and catch and its prey includes small animals, by means of which it can survive in areas where big game has become scarce. The Gelada, Theropithecus gelada, is an endemic primate restricted to high grassland escarpments in the deep gorges of the central Ethiopian plateau, between 1,800 and 4,400 masl. The Blue Nile gorge and the upper Shebelle River valley (east of the Bale massif) mark the western and southeastern boundaries of the range, respectively. Gelada overall has a large range and is still abundant despite increasing threats to the species. Savannah mammals
