Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WETLANDS
Hippos and crocodiles are found around Gambela in the wetlands along the Baro River.
They also populate some of the Rift Valley lakes in the south - Lake Chamo is famous for
its massive crocodiles. Rouget's rails and white-winged flufftails are found in the wetland
swamps, while Senegal thick-knees and red-throated bee-eaters live in riverbank habitats.
Endangered Species
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
lists seven species in Ethiopia as critically endangered; one is Ethiopia's endemic walia
ibex. Amazingly, you have a pretty good chance of spotting this rare animal in the Simien
Mountains National Park.
A further 19 species in Ethiopia are listed as
endangered by IUCN. These include the en-
demic mountain nyala and Ethiopian wolf,
both easily viewed in Bale Mountains National
Park (and the wolf also in the newly created
Guassa Community Conservation Area). Nech-
isar National Park formerly hosted the en-
dangered African hunting dog and what is
likely Ethiopia's rarest endemic bird, the Nech-
isar nightjar. Vulnerable bird species are Prince Ruspoli's turaco, Salvadori's serin, Strese-
mann's bush crow, the Sidamo long-clawed lark, the Degodi lark, the Ankober serin and
the white-tailed swallow.
The Nechisar nightjar
(Caprimulgus solala)
was
long known from a single wing found squashed on
the road near Nechisar National Park in 1990. In
2009, after nearly 20 years' wait, the first living
birds were claimed to have been seen by a group of
respected ornithologists.
Plants
Ethiopia's flora is as exceptional as almost everything else about this country. Ethiopia
was classed as one of the world's 12 most important hot spots for crop plant diversity by
the famous Russian geneticist Nikolai Vavilov, and is thought to possess extremely valu-
able pools of crop plant genes. Between 600 and 1400 plant species are thought to be en-
demic; a whopping 10% to 20% of its flora.
The small-leaved deciduous forests can be
found all over the country apart from the west-
ern regions, at an altitude of between 900m
and 1900m. Vegetation consists of drought-tol-
erant shrubs and trees with either leathery per-
sistent leaves or small, deciduous ones. Trees
include various types of acacia. Herbs include
Acalypha
and
Aerva
.
Endemic Mammals of Ethiopia,
by Jill Last and
published by the defunct Ethiopian Tourism Com-
mission, gives decent descriptions of the appear-
