Awash National Park is a
national park in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. Located at the border of
Oromia
Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa.
It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Be ...
state and
Afar state, the park covers an area of 827 square kilometers, most of it lies at an altitude of 900 meters. Spanning across the southern tip of the
Afar Region
The Afar Region (; aa, Qafar Rakaakayak; am, አፋር ክልል), formerly known as Region 2, is a regional state in northeastern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Afar people. Its capital is the planned city of Semera, which lies on the pave ...
and the northeastern corner of the
East Shewa Zone
East Shewa ( om, Shawaa Bahaa) is a zone in Oromia Region of Ethiopia. East Shewa is located at centre of oromia Oromia, connecting the western regions to the eastern ones. This zone is bordered on the south by the West Arsi Zone, on the southw ...
of
Oromia
Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa.
It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Be ...
, this park is 225 kilometers east of
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
(and a few kilometers west of
Awash and east of
Metehara
Metehara ( am, መተሐራ, om, Mataharaa) is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the East Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 947 meters above sea level.
Access to Metehara includes a ...
). The park is best known for its rich biodiversity and rural landscapes.
History
The Awash National Park was established in 1966, although the act authorizing its existence was not completely passed for another three years. In establishing this park, as well as the Metehara Sugar Plantation to the south, the livelihoods of the indigenous Karayyu Oromo people have been endangered — an effect that is contrary to the Ethiopian government's original intention of these establishments serving to benefit the local population.
Geography
![Parc national d'Awash-Ethiopie-Rivière (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Parc_national_d%27Awash-Ethiopie-Rivi%C3%A8re_%281%29.JPG)
Along with its southern boundary along the
Awash River
The Awash (sometimes spelled Awaash; Oromo: ''Awaash'', Amharic: አዋሽ, Afar: ''We'ayot'', Somali: ''Webiga Dir'') is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia and empties into a chain of i ...
, Awash National Park covers 850 square kilometers of
acacia woodland and
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
. The
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
–
Dire Dawa highway passes through this park, separating the Illala Saha Plains to the south from the Kudu Valley to the north. Further south of the park, the
Awash River
The Awash (sometimes spelled Awaash; Oromo: ''Awaash'', Amharic: አዋሽ, Afar: ''We'ayot'', Somali: ''Webiga Dir'') is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia and empties into a chain of i ...
gorge has amazing waterfalls, such as Awash falls. In the upper
Kudu Valley at Filwoha are
hot springs amid groves of
palm trees
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm ( ...
thrives at the river bed. The park is home to
Mount Fentale, a dormant
stratovolcano which is located in the western area of Awash National Park at an altitude of 2,007 meters above sea level.
Ecology
Flora
Awash national park's vegetation is classified into four ecosystems: arid
Acacia woodlands, thorned bushlands, grazing
savannas
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
, and diverse riverine
wetlands.
Doum palm trees and
Desert date trees are found scattered across the Fihola and Doha sites of Awash National Park which provides a suitable niche for all mammalian, avian, and reptilian species.
Fauna
![Parc national d'Awash-Ethiopie-Oryx (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Parc_national_d%27Awash-Ethiopie-Oryx_%281%29.jpg)
Mammals and Reptiles
Awash national park is home to more than 81 species of mammals and 43 species of reptiles.
Beisa oryxes are common here for their populations. Other species that live within these park ecoregions include
Aardvark
The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlik ...
s,
Aardwolves
The aardwolf (''Proteles cristata'') is an insectivorous species of hyena, native to East and Southern Africa. Its name means "earth-wolf" in Afrikaans and Dutch. It is also called maanhaar-jackal (Afrikaans for " mane-jackal"), termite-eatin ...
,
caracal
The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...
s,
serval
The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...
s,
hippopotamus
The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...
es,
Crested porcupine
The crested porcupine (''Hystrix cristata''), also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Characteristics
The adult crested porcupine h ...
s,
Spotted hyenas,
Striped hyenas,
lions,
leopards
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus ''Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
,
cheetahs
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
,
Soemmerring's gazelle
Soemmerring's gazelle (''Nanger soemmerringii''), also known as the Abyssinian mohr, is a gazelle species native to the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan). The species was described and given its binomen by ...
s,
Defassa waterbucks,
Spotted-necked otter
The spotted-necked otter (''Hydrictis maculicollis''), or speckle-throated otter, is an otter native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
The spotted-necked otter is a relatively small species, with males measuring from nose to rump, and weigh ...
s,
Rock hyrax
The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the da ...
es,
klipspringer
The klipspringer (; ''Oreotragus oreotragus'') is a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of its genus and subfamily/tribe, the klipspringer was first described by German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zim ...
s,
Salt's dik-dik
Salt's dik-dik (''Madoqua saltiana'') is a small antelope found in semidesert, bushland, and thickets in the Horn of Africa, but marginally also in northern Kenya and eastern Sudan. It is named after Henry Salt, who was the first European to ...
s,
lesser kudu
The lesser kudu (''Tragelaphus imberbis'') is a bushland antelope found in East Africa. It is placed in the genus ''Tragelaphus'' and family Bovidae. It was first scientifically described by the English zoologist Edward Blyth in 1869. The head- ...
s,
greater kudu
The greater kudu (''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'') is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation, ...
s, and
warthogs
''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly co ...
. Primates of Awash National park such as
Olive baboon
The olive baboon (''Papio anubis''), also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, being native to 25 countries throughout Africa, extending fr ...
s,
guerezas,
grivet
The grivet (''Chlorocebus aethiops'') is an Old World monkey with long white tufts of hair along the sides of its face. Some authorities consider this and all of the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus'' to be a single species, ''Cercopithecus ae ...
s, and
hamadryas baboons are abundantly common throughout the park's ecosystems. Animals such as
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
s,
rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
s,
zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...
s,
Swayne's hartebeest
Swayne's hartebeest (''Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei'') is an endangered antelope native to Ethiopia. Two of the largest remaining populations are located in Senkelle Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary, Nechisar National Park and Maze National Park. It ...
s, and
Cape buffalo were once presented since the 1960s but were now extirpated because of hunting, population decline, and habitat loss.
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, ...
s are found in Awash river valleys and gorges while
Rock pythons are found in riverine forests and hot spring oases.
Leopard tortoise
The leopard tortoise (''Stigmochelys pardalis'') is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only extant member of the genus ''Stigmochelys'', althou ...
s are rarely seen on savanna grassland and dry thickets for feeding, which is the only
tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...
species listed here. Venomous snakes, such as
Saw-scaled viper
''Echis'' (common names: saw-scaled vipers, carpet vipersSpawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. .) is a genus of vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle Eas ...
(Echis Carinatus Pyramidum),
Puff adder
The puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') is a viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions.U.S. Navy. 1991. ''Venomous Snakes of the World''. US Govt. ...
(Bitis Arietans Somalica),
Rhombic night-adder (Causus Rhombeatus),
Black mamba (Dendroaspis Polylepis Antinori),
Eastern pallid spitting cobra (Naja Mossambica Pallida), and
Black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis), are frequently found within the park ecosystems that are considered dangerous for encountering them. Other reptile species such as
geckos
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from .
Geckos ar ...
,
skinks,
agamas
Religion
*Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts
*Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects
*Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism
Other uses
* ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...
,
snake
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...
s, and
monitors are frequently diverse in arid scrublands and riverine wetlands.
Avifauna
The park also contains 453 species of native birds which includes
Somali ostrich
The Somali ostrich (''Struthio molybdophanes''), also known as the blue-necked ostrich, is a large flightless bird native to the Horn of Africa. It is one of two living species of ostriches, the other being the common ostrich. It was also previo ...
es,
Lappet-faced vulture
The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (''Torgos tracheliotos'') is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus ''Torgos''. It i ...
s,
White-bellied go-away-bird
The white-bellied go-away-bird (''Crinifer leucogaster'') is a bird of eastern Africa in the family Musophagidae, commonly known as turacos.
Taxonomy
German naturalist Eduard Rüppell described this species in 1842.
The white-bellied go-away- ...
s,
Crested francolin
The crested francolin (''Ortygornis sephaena'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae.
It is found in southern Africa. One of its subspecies, ''Ortygornis sephaena rovuma'', is sometimes considered a separate species, Kirk's francolin.
...
s,
White-headed buffalo weaver
The white-headed buffalo weaver or white-faced buffalo-weaver (''Dinemellia dinemelli'') is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to East Africa. The buffalo part of its name derives from its habit of following the African b ...
s,
Chestnut-headed sparrow-lark
The chestnut-headed sparrow-lark (''Eremopterix signatus'') or chestnut-headed finch-lark is a species of passerine bird in the family Alaudidae. It is found in eastern and north-eastern Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dr ...
s,
Northern carmine bee-eater
The northern carmine bee-eater (''Merops nubicus'') is a brightly-coloured bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It is found across northern tropical Africa, from Senegal eastwards to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. It was formerly considered to ...
s,
Kori bustard
The kori bustard (''Ardeotis kori'') is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family, which all belong to the order Otidiformes and are restricted in distribution to the Old World. It is one of the four species ( ...
s,
Abyssinian rollers,
Abyssinian ground hornbill
The Abyssinian ground hornbill or northern ground hornbill (''Bucorvus abyssinicus'') is an African bird, found north of the equator, and is one of two species of ground hornbill. It is the second largest species of African hornbill, only surpas ...
s,
Red-billed hornbill
The red-billed hornbills are a group of hornbills found in the savannas and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. They are now usually split into five species, the northern red-billed hornbill (''Tockus erythrorhynchus''), western red-billed hornbill ...
, and
Brown snake-eagles.
Wattled Ibis (Bostrychia Carunculata),
Black-winged lovebird
The black-winged lovebird (''Agapornis taranta'') also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family. At about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long, it is the largest of the lovebird genus, a group of small parrots. The ...
(Agapornis Taranta),
Banded barbet (Lybiusun Datus),
Yellow-throated seedeater (Crithagra Flavigula),
Abyssinian woodpecker
The Abyssinian woodpecker (''Dendropicos abyssinicus''), also known as the golden-backed woodpecker or the golden-mantled woodpecker, is a species of bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and E ...
(Dendropicos Abyssinicus),
White-billed starling
The white-billed starling (''Onychognathus albirostris'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Habitat
In the Degua Tembien district it was found on steep cliffs.
References
Onychognath ...
(Onychognathus Albirostris), and
Thick-billed raven
The thick-billed raven (''Corvus crassirostris''), a corvid from the Horn of Africa, shares with the common raven the distinction of being the largest bird in the corvid family, and indeed the largest of the passerines. The thick-billed raven a ...
(Corvus Crassirostris) are 7 endemic species that are compromised within the park's biodiversity.
[Seware, Belay. (2015). AWASH NATIONAL PARK: ITS DEGRADATION STATUS AND PROTECTION MEASURES. PJ PALGO JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 2. 57 – 66.]
See also
*
Oromia Region
Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa.
It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benis ...
Notes
References
* Philip Briggs. 2002. ''Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide'', 3rd edition (Chalfont St Peters: Bradt), pp. 335f
* C. Michael Hogan. 2009
''Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg* Ken Preston-Mafham. 2020
''Wild Ethiopia – Awash National Park''
External links
*
Former official site
{{Authority control
National parks of Ethiopia
Protected areas of Afar Region
Awash River
Protected areas established in 1966
1966 establishments in Ethiopia
Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets
Protected areas of Oromia Region
Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia