The Abyssinian lion, the royal emblem
Also known as the Lion of Judah, this black-maned feline endemic to the region is a strong symbol of the country. With its black mane, it is nicknamed the black lion. Emperor Haile Selassie made it his royal emblem. The genetic heritage of Abyssinian lions is still the subject of debate among scientists, but for Ethiopians, there's no doubt that it's unique. Today, it is threatened by the programmed destruction of its natural habitat, with the expansion of villages and crops. Inhabitants regularly encroach on national park territory for lack of space, and find themselves in conflict with the lions. In just a few decades, they have all but disappeared from the map, driven out by demographic pressure. According to a recent study, there are around a thousand of them, grouped together in the border areas of South Sudan and Somalia, and a handful in the national parks in the center and east of the country.
The Abyssinian fox (or wolf) and other felines
Also known as the red jackal or Simien wolf, it lives in alpine regions between 3,000 and 4,500 m altitude. Now rare in the Simien massif, it is more easily encountered in the Bale mountains, particularly on the Sanetti plateau, but also in the Lasta mountains around the summit of Abuna Youssef (above Lalibela). There are thought to be 500 left in the country, its biggest predator being the leopard, which also lives in these mountains. The three species of African jackal - golden, ruffed and striped - are most often seen in the early hours of the morning. Jackals share savannah territories with a close cousin, the otocyon, or eared dog, which can be recognized by its very large ears and is exclusively insectivorous. Servals, wildcats, civets and caracals are essentially nocturnal and solitary predators, offering fewer opportunities to be approached.
Ibex walia and baboon gelada, emblematic of the Simien region
This is a species of mountain ibex that came close to extinction. It remains Ethiopia's most endangered animal. It can be found on the steep, rocky walls of the Simien, and is often seen from afar during the ascent of Ras Dashen. Other high-altitude antelopes include the mountain nyala, which lives above 3,000m. Its habitat is confined to the Arsi and Bale massifs. Poetically dubbed the "bleeding-heart baboon" because of the characteristic purple spot that lights up its thickly furred chest, the gelada is a pacifist monkey endemic to Ethiopia, widely distributed in the highlands. It is easily encountered in the Simien, where it lives in hordes of several dozen individuals. You'll recognize it by its blond hair, which looks like it's been brushed, and you'll have no trouble getting close to it. They can also be found near Dejen and Debre Libanos, near the Nile Gorge on the road to Bahar Dar. Among the primates found in Ethiopia, the guereza or colobus, dressed in a black-and-white coat with a bushy tail, is next to the green monkey or grivet, whose silky coat varies in color from silver-gray to yellow-green. The rarer cercopithecines are concentrated in the more marshy areas in the south-west of the country. Trapus, familiar with savannah territories, the anubis baboon and hamadrya baboon spend most of their time on the ground in search of food, sometimes in large troops. Although their range is much wider, both species can be easily observed in Awash Park.
Numerous hippos and crocodiles, rare elephants and giraffes
Ethiopia has some 242 recorded land mammals to date, 28 of which are endemic. Hippopotamuses abound in the large lakes and rivers, where they frequently live alongside a vast population of saurians, mostly Nile crocodiles, the largest and most impressive on the planet, the largest specimens of which can exceed 6 m in length and weigh 1 t in weight. The population on Lake Chamo is the most impressive (around 2,000 heads) and you can approach them with a guide in an iron-hulled boat when you go on an excursion. They can also be seen on the shores of Lake Abaya, but to a lesser extent as it is less well-stocked with fish. Their jaws can crush boats with a pressure of 266 kg/cm3, compared with 70 kg/cm3 for the hyena, which already breaks bones, and 13 kg/cm3 for man. When it catches a prey, it turns on itself to increase the pressure and drown its prey.
Africa's large mammals, such as elephants and giraffes, now number only a few representatives, grouped together mainly in the isolated south-western regions of the country, where herds of buffalo also congregate. Small mammals include the endemic Stark's hare, the banana mouse and the giant mole rat. The long-snouted aardvark and the scale-covered pangolin, both termite-eating burrowers, are strictly nocturnal and therefore very difficult to observe.
The great antelope family in Ethiopia
It has many representatives that are relatively easy to differentiate by their size and the shape of their horns. The Swayne's hartebeest is endemic to Ethiopia. Concentrated in wooded savannah regions and the great plains, this species of antelope is relatively rare and can be seen in Nechisar and Awash parks, where it has been reintroduced, as well as in the sanctuaries of Yabelo and Sankele. Among the miniature antelopes, the oréotrague frequents rugged rocky terrain, while the ourébi and crowned duiker prefer moist savannahs. Smaller still, the dik-dik is found in thorny bush habitats and has the particularity of living in monogamous pairs. Medium-sized and slender-horned, Soemmering's and Grant's gazelles are found on short-grass plains. The gerenuk, or Waller's gazelle, called giraffe gazelle because of its very long neck, is found in semi-desert areas, and only the male has S-shaped horns. among the large antelopes, up to one meter at the withers, with arched horns, there are four species of cobs. The Buffon cob and the lechwe cob are found only in Gambela Park, while the swamp cob is concentrated in the southeast of the country and along the Wabe Shebelle River. The much more common defassa cob ranges from the southern parks to the Yangudi Rassa reserve. The nagor and the rarer mountain redunca complete this family. The most majestic antelopes are the oryx, with its long, straight horns, and the lesser and greater kudu, recognizable by the white stripes on their gray coats and their spiral horns, which are common on the great plains and in the thorny Awash bush. The harnessed guib, found in a variety of forest and shrub-savanna habitats, is more common than the Menelik's guib, which lives mainly in the Bale and Simien mountains. Finally, the mountain nyala is, along with the greater kudu, the most beautiful trophy, with its spiral horns measuring up to 115 cm.
Many hyenas in the country, sacred in Harar
Big cats are present in Ethiopia, but in small numbers, such as the lion, cheetah and leopard. The latter is undoubtedly the most numerous, but it is also the most discreet and difficult to count. The spotted hyena, more imposing than its striped cousin, is also considered one of Africa's largest carnivores, with the female weighing up to 80 kg. To be able to observe one of these three princes of African fauna is therefore a matter of luck and a moment to be appreciated. Nevertheless, they can be heard quite frequently (hyenas call as they move about at night) around towns and cities. In Harar, three colonies of around 300 hyenas in total are fed at dusk in the headlights of cars by a family of hyena trainers who pass on this privilege from generation to generation and invite visitors (including tourists) to feed the hyenas too, with meat suspended from a small piece of wood wedged between your lips - chills guaranteed!
Large numbers of birds around Ethiopia's lakes
The country's ornithological wealth is such - 850 species recorded to date - that precise identification requires the use of specialized books. Birds are concentrated mainly around the alkaline lakes of the Rift Valley, the crater lakes and Lake Tana, but also along rivers and in lush forests. With populations of 300 to 400 different species, the Abijata-Shalla and Awash parks, as well as the Bale massif with its high degree of endemism, are prime birdwatching spots. While the ostrich is undoubtedly the largest bird and reigns over the semi-arid plains of the West, two other leggy congeners are sure to surprise visitors. The Serpentary, a grey bird of prey with a crest of erectile feathers, strides across the savannah in search of snakes. Equally imposing, the Kori bustard offers a fascinating spectacle during its courtship displays: puffing up its neck feathers, the bird tramples the ground as it spins and vibrates its whole body as it cackles. On the shores of lakes where the hideous marabou sits, neck tucked into shoulders, egrets, herons, storks and spoonbills unfurl their elegant silhouettes. Among these wading birds, the ibis tantalus, with its white plumage and satin-black tail, and the Senegal jabiru, a large black-headed stork with a red beak, are particularly majestic. On these vast aquatic expanses, pelicans circulate by the hundreds and the pink flamingos of lakes Abijata and Chitu add their unusual hue to the scenery. While the sacred ibis is an adept of the lake shores, the hagedash ibis also frequents the savannahs and farmlands, while the endemic wattled ibis, recognizable by its excrescence hanging below the throat, is frequently seen on the high plateaus. A multitude of raptors fill the skies with their menacing presence. Over plains, lakes, savannahs and canyons soar various species of buzzards, vultures, falcons and eagles in search of prey. Among the big-billed birds, the hornbill takes the lion's share. The flat-billed hornbill, the red-billed hornbill and the crested hornbill, identifiable by its beak surmounted by a pointed yellow helmet, are large birds that can be observed in flight or perched. There's nothing quite like the Abyssinian Hornbill, which is often seen roaming the grassy savannahs and can be recognized by its short helmet and red or blue gular pouch.
A rich endemic flora that remains little-known
Highly endemic, Ethiopia's flora is extraordinarily diverse, yet little known. During the flowering season, in September and October, a veritable carpet of yellow flowers covers the countryside. Called "Masqal flowers"(adey abeba, in Amharic), in honor of the feast of the Cross celebrated at this time, they are the symbol of Ethiopian flora, heralding the return of the dry season and harvest time. Some of the flowers that grow on the high plateaus are common to other areas with temperate climates, such as the red or blue mourrons. Higher up, and particularly widespread in the Bale region, aloe, a plant with small bells, and Knifolia foliosa, shaped like a torch, display their glowing colors.
Typical of medium-altitude inhabited areas, euphorbia, a type of cactus with a candelabra-like structure, is often used as a fence around houses or fields. The mountain regions are characterized by heather vegetation of the Erica family, dotted with numerous multicolored endemic flowers and immortelles, and dominated by the giant lobelia.
The forests, particularly dense in the south-west and in the Bale massif, are home to a wide variety of species, including ficus, Cupressus,Hagenia abyssinica (also known as kosso) and Juniperus. The imposing sycamore fig tree or the Gambia tulip tree, recognizable by its large orange flowers, are also common species. In more arid regions, the acacia is the last tree to survive in the midst of shrubby vegetation dominated by the Balatines aegyptica, with its impressive thorns. The acclimatization of numerous European plant species has made Addis Ababa a very flowery capital, dominated by the ubiquitous eucalyptus, another introduced species that has rapidly proliferated.
Eucalyptus, imported and invasive, has become problematic
Over the past thirty years, almost 80% of Ethiopia's forests have been decimated to meet the country's fuel and timber needs. It is estimated that 150,000 to 200,000 ha of forest are destroyed every year in the country. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is the national authority responsible for combating desertification and drought. At the end of the 19th century, eucalyptus trees from Australia and Madagascar were introduced to combat deforestation. The eucalyptus was the saving grace of the capital Addis Ababa, which would otherwise have been relocated further west, to Addis-Alem. However, these fast-growing trees have had a negative impact on the environment. The endemic fauna doesn't appreciate them and nothing grows around their roots (due to their high water consumption), so that eucalyptus forests only hasten soil impoverishment. Today, to ensure a better natural balance, reforestation must focus on species diversity, and in particular on the recolonization of native species.
