|
| |
|
National Parks |
|
|
|
|
Omo National Park
 Size: 4,068 km2 (third)
Region: SNNPR
Geographical location: - 870 km. south west of Addis Ababa on the west bank of the OMO river
Altitude: 440-183
Physical Features: Belts of forest along the OMO and MUI rivers, hot springs, extensive wilderness. The grass plains are relieved by bands of hills to the north and south of the century located park headquarters.
Temperatures: are high, ranging from 14oc to 41oc and the rainfall average 500 mm or 780 mm a year. Falling between March and April. And September and October.
Vegetation:- Savannah riv erine forest, deciduous woodliand acacial bush
Fauna:- The parks wildlife includes large herds of cland, and buffalo, elephant giraffe cheetah, lion leopard, and burchel’s zebra. Lesser kudu, lelwel hartebeest, topi, and oryx are all found here, as well as debrazzas and Columbus monkeys and anubis baboon. A total of 57(70) species of mammals can be found in the park.
Bird life:- 306(318) species, one of which the black-winged love bird is endemic to Ethiopia.
| |
|
Mago National Park
 Size: 4,068 km2 (third)
Region: SNNPR
Geographical location: - 800 (7.70) KM, SOUTH-WEST OF Addis Ababa louching the east band of mago river arba minch. Konso and jinka.
Altitude: 450-2528m ( mt.mogo)
Physical Features: The highest point is mount mago (2.528m) situated in the north of the park.
Temperatures: here swings between 14oc and 41oc
Vegetation:- mainly grass savannah, with some forested areas around the rivers, very dense bush makes difficult for games viewing.
Fauna:- the park was set up to conserve the large numbers of plain animals in the area. Particularly buffalo (about 2000 head). Giraffe and elephant (200head). Also among the species of mammal seen here are topi and lelwel hartebeest, as well as lion, chieetah, leopard, burchel zebra, geren;uk, oryx, and greater kudu and lesser kudu. There are many small mammals too making up altogether 81 mammals species so far recorded.
Bird life:- The birds are typical of the dry grassland habit featuring bustards, hornbills. Weavers, and starlings, king fishers and herons can be seen around the Neri river, which provides an alternative habitat. There are altogether 153 species of birds recorded to date four (4) of them endemic: the4 white winged cliff chat the black-headed forest the thick billed raven, and the wattle lbis. |
|
|
Nechisar National Park
 Size: 514 km2 (Eigth)
Region: SNNPR
Geographical location:- 505 km. south-west of addis ababa near arba minch.
Altitude: 1,108-1,605
Physical Features: the park an impressive swath (wrapping) of white grass plains set against the back drop of clearly defined deeply cut hills and mountains. 78 km. of the park is water-part of Lake Chamo and abaya.
Temperatures: There are hot springs at the far eastern sector of the park. Temperature range between 11oc and 26oc January to march is the hottest period with daily maximum of around 35oc. November and December are typically the coldest months with maximum of around 28oc.
Rainfall average 880(900) MM and mainly falls from March to may and September to November.
Vegetation:- savannah dey bush ground water forest.
Fauna:- 37(84) species, including bushbuck, bushpig, anubis baboon, vervet monky, colobus monkey, swayne’s harterbest, buschel’s zebra, African wild dog, greater kudu, genet cat, grant’s gazelle, guentther’s dik-dik, black-backed jackal, crocodile and hippopotamus.
Bird life:- The 188(333) bird species includeing 2(3) endemics of the area are quite warned. Reflecting the different habitats within the park. Both the red billed and grey hornbill are common here. The three endemics are think-billed rave, the wattled ibis and the the mysterious nechisar nightigar. Also common are fish eagle. Kingfishers, and rollers. Various bustard species are also fund in the park, including the large and impressive koori. |
|
|
Abiata Shala Lakes National Park
 Size: 887km2(sixth)
Region: Oromia
Geographical location:- Rift valley, 200 km, south of Addis Ababa
Altitude: 1,540-2,075m
Physical Features: 482 km2 of the park is water, comprising the fluctuating shallow pan of Lake Abayta and the deep steep-sided lake shalla, both of which are saline. Several hot springs bubble up by the shore and flow into Lake Shalla. Mount fike, 2,075 meters high, is situated between the two lakes.
Temperatures: can be high reaching 45oc at maximum and 5oc at minimum.
Rainfall: between March and April and June and September average 500 mm
Vegetation:- savannah and acacia wood land, many areas are adversely affected by people practicing charcoal production and livestock grazing particularly near the roads.
Fauna:- 31 species of mammals, including greater kudu, grants gazelle, warthog, anbis baboon grivet and colobus monkeys, oribi, klipspringer. Black-backed and common jackal.
Bird life:-300(200) species including six endemics park created for the water birds especially great white pelican greater and lesser flamingo, cormorants. |
|
|
Bale Mountains National Park
 Size: 2,470 km2 (fourth)
Region: Oromia
Geographical location:-south east Ethiopia southern end of eastern edge of rift valley mountains chain, 400 km from Addis Ababa
Altitude: 1,500-4,377m
Physical Features: The extensive afro-alpine area contains alpine lakes and the highest peak in southern Ethiopia tullu dimtu. The area of the park is divided in to two major parts by the harenna escarpment that runs from east to west. North of the escarpment is a high altitude plateau area, which dissected by the many rivers and streams that, habing cut deep garages in to the edges over the centuries. In some places this has resulted in scenic waterfalls. The northern part of the park is riverine plains, bush land and wood, the center is high plateau of 4,000 meters which is crossed by the highest all weather road in Africa. The southern part of the park is forest.
Temperatures:range from 7oc to 26oc depending on the seasons.
Rainfall: is high, averaging 1,150mm and usually falls between march and October as well as in other months.
Vegetation:- In the north there are green riverine plains bordered by band of bushes, particularly st. john’s, wort wild flowers form carpets of colour. Fringing the stand sof hagenia and juniperus and above them are montane grasslands higher up the mountains heather appears. The high sanetti-pleateau is characterized by afro-alpine plants, some coping with the extreme temperatures by coming small and others by becoming large. The best example of the latter is the grant lobelia. The dominant wildflower in the park is the everlasting flower. The southern part of the park is heavily forested. The heather forest is particularly mature here. Drapd with many lichens .
Fauna:- The park was originally established to protect two of the ethipian endemic species, the mountain nyala and the semien Fox or Red jackal. The park eleven (11) of them endemic, including menelik’s bushbuck, bohor, reed buck, grey duiker, sorthog, seval cat, volobus monkey giant molerat, African wild dog, bushpig, giant foresthog, lion anubis baboon.
Bird life:-The 220 bird species of bale include 16 ( sixteen) endemic species many of which are easily seen. These include wattled ibis, black-winged love bird raven, wattled ( ranes are often seen on the high plateau in the wet season, when they breed. |
|
|
Gambella National Park
 Size: 5,060 km2 (first)
Region: Gambella
Geographical location:-West Ethiopia 850 km west of Addis Ababa
Altitude: 400-768m
Physical Features: Extensive swamps and wetland of the akobo river systems
Temperatures:are high
Rainfall:is 1500 mm a year falling between April and October.
Vegetation:-Semi-arid open woodland, savannah, swamp.
Fauna:- The park contains forty-one(41) species many representative of neighboring Sudan and not found else where in Ethiopia such as Nile lechwe and the white eared kob, the latter migrating in large numbers roan antelope,topi, elephant, buffalo, lelwel hartebeest lion and giraffe are also present .
Bird life:-The most important of the 154 bird speices present here is the whale-headed stork, and unusual large billed, tall bird seen standing in the swamps. |
|
|
Awash National Park
 Size:750m2 (seventh)
Region: Oromia/afar
Geographical location:-Bordering the awash river in the upper rift valley, 225 km east of Addis Ababa .
Altitude: 750-2,007m
Physical Features: Nearby lake basaka is home to many water bird species. The park is southern boundary is in part, the Awash River. One of the major rivers of Ethiopia in the middle of the park is the dominant volcano of fantale, reaching a height of 2,007m on its rim. THE PARK also includes the dramatic awash falls and the unbelievably clear blue-but hot-pools of the filwoha hot spring.
Temperatures:can reach as high as 42oc nights are cooler, with temperatures between 10oc and 22oc.
Rainfall: mainly falls between February and April and June to august and a rage 619mm
Vegetation:-Arid and semi-arid woodland and savannah, but also riverine forest. The plains are covered by grass species, with scattered small tree covered in dense thickets of acacia species. The rocky valley to the north of the park are heavily bushed along the river a thin belt of dense river line forest including acacia, tamarina and fig species.
Fauna:- Forty six(46) species. Including beisa oryx, greater and lesse kudu, soemmering’s Gazelle, Swayne’s, hartebeest, lion, hamardryas and anubis baboon and their hybrids, defassa water buck, salt’s dik-dik.
Bird life:-There are five(5) endemic among the 392 species(1st) to be found in the park. Resident species include green wood hoopoe, red-and –yellow harbet, emerald-spotted wood dove, carmine bee-eater several bustard species, fish eagle, tawny eagle. Lanner and pygmy. Falcon, black shouldered kite, dark chanting goshawk, several varieties of kingfishers and rollers, ostrich and lammergeyer. |
|
|
Yangudi Rasa National Park
 Size:4,730 km2 (second)
Region: Afar
Geographical location:-500km north east of Addis Ababa on Awash Asab road
Altitude: 400-1,459m
Physical Features: Temperature is high as in awash national park. Very little rainfall as the area is semi-desert.
Vegetation:-Semi-desert trees and serub savannah, open woodland.
Fauna:- Thirty six(36) species of mammal including wild ass, Gerby zebra, gerenuk, besia oryx. Hamadryfas, Baboon, soemmering’s getelle and alt’s dik-dik.
Bird life:-The 136 species of birds include two endemics. |
|
|
Semien Mountain National Park
 Size:179 km2 (ninth)
Region: Amhara
Geographical location:-760km north of Addis Ababa via bahar dar, gondar,
Altitude: 1,900-4,430, (1st)
Physical Features: Spectacular secenery, gorges and escarpments just outside the park is ras dashen, Ethiopia highest peak at 4,543 meters.
Temprature: can fall belfow freezing at night. The daytime temperatures are in the region of 11.5o to 180c. The rainfall average 1,550mm a year.
Vegetation:-Afro-alpine montane, savannah, heather much of the vegetation has been altered by humans over the years and few trees will be seen in the area except the introduced eucalyptus. But in inaccessible areas, such as the escarpment Natural habitats are preserved and plants such as St. John’s wort and heather may be seen as small trees or bushes, and many smaller herbs form carpets of colour.
Fauna:- Walia ibex, semien fox, gelada baboon, grey duilker, and klipspringer are among the 21 ( twenty) |
|
| |
| |
