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Ethiopia has several national parks that have greater economic benefits and environmental importance. To mention a few, Semien, Bale, Mago, Gambella, Omo, Nech Sar, Chebera Churchura and Borena Sayint are some among others.
These parks are home to several species of plants and wildlife found only in Ethiopia, including species such as the Walia Ibex, the Ethiopian wolf and the Gelada (a species of monkey), cheetah, lion, civet, serval, African elephant, piglet, gazelle, antelope, reedbuck, Somali wild ass, Grévy’s zebra, hyena, baboon and others.
Alatish National Park is also the other recently established park and home to various animals.
Located in Quara woreda in northern Gondar in Amhara state, the park was established in 2006 and derives its name from the Alatish River that originates from the park and flows west into Sudan.
The park, which covers an area of 266,570 hectares of land, shares its limits to the south with the regional state of Benishangul-Gumuz, to the west with Sudan, to the east with Bembaho Kebele, to the northeast with Gelego Kebele and to the north with Mahdid Kebele.
The landscape in Alatish is flat with an elevation ranging from 520 to 920 meters above sea level. There are some hills in the eastern and northeastern parts of the area. The Twin Mountains of Amdog are a special feature in the southwest corner of the park.
Alatish soils are composed of sand and gravel. Some sections of the area have rocky beds that prevent water infiltration into the aquifer. These areas provide suitable habitat for seasonal wetlands, which in turn are productive habitats for birds, fish, and other wildlife.
Agroecologically, the park is classified as dry tail with annual rainfall ranging between 500-1500 mm. The park boundaries were defined in 1998, but were redefined with the participation of local communities in 2004. The park’s vegetation is classified as Combretum-Terminalia broadleaf deciduous forest. Dominant grass species include Cymbopogon spp., Hyperhenia filipendula, Echinochloa sp, Pennisetum spp.
The park is a safe haven for nearly 26 largest mammals (excluding rodents) and 143 registered bird species.
Alatish is located in an arid and semi-arid ecological zone. It forms an ecological tone between the high mountains of the Simen and the Sahel area in Sudan. As a result, the biological attributes of the park are believed to be diverse and rich.
As stated by Kassegn Berhanu in his research work entitled, Opportunities and challenges for the development of community-based ecotourism: the case of Alatish National Park; In northwestern Ethiopia, there are many potential tourist attractions of historical and cultural importance near Alatish National Park.
Among these are the birthplace of Tewedros (Tewedros Ketema), the cave of Emperor Tewedros, the baobab tree of Haile Selassie, the Abrham Deboch and Moges Asigidom cemeteries, the Mahibere Silassie monastery, the city of Metema Yohaness, churches and monasteries, such as Diza Mariyam, Tekilehayimanot Washa, and Wefta Giyogis Chergie Maryam Monastery.
The ethnic composition of the area formed by the Felata and Gumuz communities are the other important tourist attractions.
In addition, the park is believed to retain a significant proportion of birds and other organisms from the Sahel and Sudan-Guinea biome. It serves as a migration route for elephants, which pass through the Dinder National Park in Sudan.
The other recently established national park is the Gerale National Park.
Gerale National Park, (also called Gerale National Park) is a new park and is located in the Liben Zone in the southwestern part of the Somalia National Regional State, in the eastern part of Moyale Woreda, 900 km southeast of Addis Ababa and 120 km northeast of Moyale.
The park covers around 38,580 hectares of land. The area encompasses what used to be known as the Borana Controlled Hunting Area in southern Ethiopia.
The park was proposed to conserve various wild animals of the savannah, including rare animals such as giraffes, African elephants, and even the black rhino. Although local people claim to have seen the latter, visits to the area have shown otherwise.
At least 36 species of larger mammals have been identified, including bats. The main conserved wildlife includes Beisa Oryx, Grant’s Gazelle, Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu, and Guenther’s Dikdik. The birdlife is also rich and a provisional list for the area has 164 registered species.
As for the plants, the composition of the vegetation is mainly made up of small trees and shrubs, 3-4 m high. The dominant species include Acacia mellifera, Acacia oerfata, Acacia brevispica, and several species of Comifora.
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The area is also characterized by grasslands, open shrub lands, dense shrub lands, dense shrub lands, wooded grasslands, and riparian forest / shrub lands. The dominant grass species include Ischamum species and Chrysopogon species. The area is generally rich in floral diversity as is the case with other parts of the Somali-Massai biome-type of East African evergreen vegetation.
As sources indicate, this park was proposed by the Somali national regional state, although it is now under the supervision of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), to conserve a unique set of wildlife in the Somali-Massai Biome. .
This biome covers large tracts of land in Ethiopia and the park is known to be home to few elephants, hunting dogs, cheetahs, and giraffes. Provides shelter for various species of antelope. The most prolific antelopes are Guenther’s Dikdik, Beisa Oryx, Grant’s Gazelle, Gerenuk, and Lesser Kudu. Among the birds, the endemic white-tailed swallow has been recorded here.
