| Ecosystem
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Environmental
Impact Assessment
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| Environmental
Policy and Laws |
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Proclamations
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Ecosystem
> Endangered Species
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Ethiopia provides
habitats for more than 861 species
of birds. Of these, 16 are wholly
restricted to the political boundaries
of the country and thus are endemic.
14 other birds are shared with Eritrea.
Among several types of habitats,
wetlands and Riverine systems are
sites for wintering or passage migrants.
There are 214 Palaearctic migrants
occurring in Ethiopia. Of this total,
45 species have been found to over-
summer within the boundaries of
the country. A large number of these
birds have breeding population in
Ethiopia.
It is surprising that
the biology of obvious and common
endemic birds of Ethiopia remains
poorly known. The nest and eggs
of several are not described. The
ecology, behavior and breeding biology
have not been fully documented for
any of the 16 species or there is
no information at all.
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Photo EPA
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The White - winged Flufftail
(Sarothrura ayresi) is one
of the rarest and least known African
endemic. It is globally endangered
species.
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| This
bird is known from two widely separate
populations, one in Ethiopia at a range
of 2,200- 2,600 m above sea level (two
localities) and the other in South Africa
at altitudes from 1,500 to 1,900 m above
sea level in ten localities. White -winged
Flufftail is a small bird that was described
in 1877 by J.H. Gurney of Norwhich,
England, from a skin collected at Potchefstroom,
South -western Transvaal, by the naturalist
Thomas Ayres on 4 October 1876, and
named his honor. |
The Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus
buxtoni) Lydekker, Yedega agazen
(in Amharic), and Gedemsa (in Afan
Oromo) is a spiral-horned antelope
that belongs to sub-family Tragelaphinae.
It is the largest and the finest
of the mammals found in the highlands
of Ethiopia. Major Ivor Buxton brought
it to the notice of science in 1908.
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Photo EPA
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The common name of Mountain
Nyala is wrongly associated to the
common Nyala (Tragelaphus angasi)
of South Africa. Mountain Nyalas are
similar in color and general appearance
to the Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
but can be distinguished by the presence
of single spiral horns and the absence
of white stripes on the body. In many
ways, Mountain Nyala resembles Greater
Kudu than Nyala.
Previously, Mountain
Nyala was not recorded in IUCN Red
Data Book as endangered species since
the Park has secured its population.
Hillman (1988) considered Mountain
Nyalas as rare species. However, the
1990, 1996 and 2000 IUCN Red Data
Book, listed Mountain Nyala as endangered
species. The human intervention is
high in the natural habitat of Mountain
Nyala. The range of the species is
so localized, and it is very vulnerable
to both ecological and political upheavals.
The 2000-2001population
census of Mountain Nyala showed that
the total number in Bale Mountains
National Park is less than 1000.
At present, Mountain
Nyalas are not maintained in captivity
to act as a breeding stock in case
something happens to the wild population.
However, if the condition continues,
it may push the animals toward extinction
unless and otherwise an immediate
and effective conservation measures
are taken.
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Photo EPA
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Gelada
baboons (Theropiticus gelada)
are the most exaggerated of all primates
in bodily form, and are so extreme that
they no longer resemble a monkey in
any sense. They can be distinguished
from other baboons by its jutting lower
jaw, rounded head and the heart-shaped
patch of bare red skin on its chest.
The face of Gelada is bright red and
naked and there are large ridges running
from below of the outside of the eyes
to a point on either side of the nostrils.
They have vivid white eyelids. |
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The red chests are very distinctive
features of the Gelada, and have earned
them the alternative name of "Bleeding-heart
baboons".
The Gelada Baboon occurs predominately
in the Simien Mountains where they
can be observed in large numbers.
But they also occur in smaller numbers
in Debre Sina, Debre Libanos, and
Wollo. By the recent evidence, a small
population of Gelada Baboon does exist
on the southeastern plateau, along
about 20km of the gorge of the Wabi
Shebelle, near Indela, Aressi.
At present, Gelada Baboons are classified
in to two sub species, Theropithecus
gelada gelada (found in northern part
of Rift Valley, at high altitudes
ranging from 2,000 to 4,500m above
sea level). While Theropithecus gelada
obscurus (characterized by darker
colored dorsal fur and flesh colored
face), inhabit the northeastern area
of the Rift valley in Shewa and Gondar.
Geladas live in the treeless montane
grasslands of Ethiopian highlands,
where they forage on the ground all
day and sleep on rocky cliffs at night.
They are the most terrestrial non-human
primates and always move by quadrupedal
walking and running.
Gelada numbers are declining and are
threatened with the possibility of
extinction, even if not in the foreseeable
future. According to IUCN, 2000 Red
List category and criteria, it is
categorized under Low risk/near threatened
(LR/nt), which are close to qualifying
for vulnerable.
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| Swayne's
hartebeest is the most attractive and
colorful of the three sub species of
hartebeest. They are distinguished from
other hartebeests, by its considerably
darker body colour. It is a deep red
chocolate brown or bright reddish-brown
with a fawn or yellowish brown collared
rump, tail and lowers half of legs.
General body colour is variable. |
Photo EPA
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The
horns carried by both sexes, spread
into the wide graceful brackets. They
are heavier in the males with more pronounced
knobs. Horn shape and growth vary with
age, but at maturity the horns generally
diverge widely from the pedicel and
the points are usually turned back.
The tail has a tuft of long black hairs.
The outer surfaces of the ears are chestnut,
but the hairs on the inner surfaces
are silver. Facial markings also vary;
older animals are more conspicuously
marked than younger, and faces may be
almost completely black with a small
chestnut band between the eyes, dark
below the eyes only or simply chestnut.
Swayne's Hartebeest lives in open
country, light bush, sometimes in
tall Savannah woodland. These are
social animals and are normally seen
in herds of 4-15, up to 30. Each herd
is under the leader-ship of the master
bull, which leads the females with
their young. The male defends the
territory.
At present Swayne's Hartebeest are
found only in four localities in Ethiopia
only namely; the Awash National Park,
Senkele Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary,
Nechisar National Park and Mazie Wildlife
Area.
The Status of Swayne's hartebeest
is classified as "Critically
endangered" Category by IUCN
(IUCN, 2002). Swayne's Hartebeest
are in greater danger of extinction
now than any other time in the past.
Its range in all over four Ethiopia
threatened by further loss of habitat
for the sake expansion of agriculture
and livestock overgrazing. Although
poaching, illegal hunting and Uncontrolled
wildfire are the main threats to the
survival of the animal.
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Source: Selamta Website
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Ethiopian
Wolf commonly called as Semien Fox,
is more common in Bale mountains than
it is in Semyen mountains. It is found
in between these two isolated mountain
areas, and nowhere else in the world.
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| The
animal is the size and color of a European
Red Fox, but with long legs, longer
muzzle, and a striking black and white
tail. The male and female are similar
in appearance. Semien Fox feed on rodents,
and as a result are mainly found at
the higher altitudes where rodents abound.
The Sanetti Plateau is an especially
good area to see them, but they do occur
in higher parts of the mountains, as
well as down at Gaysay on rare occasions.
They are usually seen hunting alone,
but can be seen in pairs, and after
the breeding season as many as eight
adults and cubs have been seen together.
The Semien Fox hunts their prey by standing
still over the rodent holes, patiently
listening, turning their head and ears
from side to side, and suddenly pouncing
when a rat emerges. They will also dig
to reach rats on occasions. They give
a high yelping bark. To keep contact
with other foxes, and when apprehensive
about anything such as your close proximity.
They are well camouflaged amongst the
lichen - covered rocks of the plateau
and can be very hard to see, despite
their striking orange-red color. |
Source: Selamta Website
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Menelik's bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus
meneliki) is a very pretty creature
with a coat longer than that of other
Bushbuks. It stands 80-90 cm at the
shoulder a little higher at the rump.
The male has ridged horns with a spiral
twist and as long as 34-35 cm.
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The female does not have horns and
is smaller in size. Its color rather
of chestnut red. They are entirely
browsers and feeds on leaves and tender
shoots. They dig up various tubers
and roots and feed on grass only when
they are young.The Menelik's bushbuck
is endemic to Ethiopia. It is protected
within the area of the Bale Mountains
national Park and Menagesha State
Forest. It is fairly common in Ethiopia.
Their most common habitat is the dense
bush in the highland forest up to
4,000m above sea level. The Bale Mountains
National Park provides refuge for
them.
They are nocturnal and diurnal. They
are usually solitary. But in Bale
Mountains National Park they also
observed in pairs or small family
groups of females and Youngs.
Among the forty races of Bushbuks,
the Menelik's bushbuck holds a special
place probably because of its coloration.
The nearly black and very handsome
Menelik's bushbuck is an antelope
related to the Nyala and the Eland.
Their loud, barking alarm call can
be heard at a considerable distance.
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Only
two species of ibex or wild goat occur
in Africa, and both are found in Ethiopia.
Walia Ibex (Capra walie) is an
endemic mammal of Ethiopia. A sturdily
built animal about a meter in height
at the shoulder and weighing up to 120
kg. It has a thick chocolate-brown coat
shading to grayish brown on the muzzle,
around the eyes, on the lower flanks,
legs and rump, and pale grey or white
on the belly and inner side of the legs.
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Source: Journal of the Ethiopian
Wildlife and natural History Society
- ZurichPano-verl
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There is black stripe down the outside
of the legs and a white garter above
each roof. Mature males have pronounced
beard on the chin.
Horns are present in both sexes; those
of the old males are massive and heavy
ringed, curving backwards in a graceful
arc to the withers. The record horn
length is 114.3cm. The females are
smaller in body and lighter in colour,
while their much shorter and thinner
horns lack the pronounced rings of
the male.
Walia Ibex inhabits very steep and
rocky habitats along the escarpment
of the Seimen Mountains National Park.
Very agile and wary, they are usually
seen on narrow inaccessible cliff
ledges in small parties of from 2-to
half a dozen, though the old males
are often solitary
The survival of Walia Ibex threatened
by poaching and agricultural expansion
to fertile upland forests. As a result,
Walia Ibex are one of the critically
endangered species of mammals of Ethiopia.
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