Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NATIONAL PARKS & WILDLIFE
SANCTUARIES
In the last few years the Ethiopian government has created a flurry of new national parks
and other protected areas. Currently there are 21 national parks, five wildlife sanctuaries
and reserves and six community conservation areas in Ethiopia. The most famed of these is
the Simien Mountains National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site. Many of the other pro-
tected areas actually receive very little protection at all (the government itself has allowed
the establishment of sugarcane plantations in Omo and Mago National Parks).
TOP PARKS & SANCTUARIES
PARK
FEATURES
ACTIVITIES
BEST
TIME TO
VISIT
Simien Mountains Na-
tional Park (
Click here
)
Dramatic volcanic escarpments and plateaus; walia
ibexes, gelada baboons, Simien wolves, lammergeyers
Trekking, bird-
watching, wildlife
viewing
Oct-Jan
Bale Mountains National
Park (
Click here
)
Steep ridges, alpine plateaus; Ethiopian wolves, moun-
tain nyala and 16 endemic birds
Trekking, bird-
watching
Oct-Jan
Abiata-Shala Lakes Na-
tional Park (
Click here
)
Crater lakes, hot springs; red-billed hornbills, Didric's
cuckoos, Abyssinian rollers, superb starlings
Birdwatching,
walking
Nov-Dec
Mago National Park (
Savannah, open woodland; elephants, hartebeest, buffa-
loes, many birds
Visiting Mursi
people, wildlife
drives
Jun-Sep &
Jan-Feb
Nechisar National Park (
Savannah, acacia woodland; Burchell's zebras,
Swayne's hartebeest, crocodiles, greater kudu, 320 bird
species
Wildlife drives,
boat trips
Nov-Feb
Omo National Park (
Savannah, open woodland; elephants, buffaloes, lions Visiting Mursi,
Dizi and Surma
groups
Jun-Sep &
Jan-Feb
