AWASH NATIONAL PARK ETHIOPIA

Newsletter No 1 - October 2009

Welcome to the first of Awash National Park’s (ANP) half-yearly newsletters. The purpose of the newsletter is to increase awareness of what is going on in the park.

Having been involved in hamadryas baboon research in ANP since 2006, I have become acutely aware of the uniqueness of Awash. The park contains an amazing array of picturesque landscapes from the Awash falls and gorge in the south, to the looming Mt Fantelle in the middle of the park, and the palm oasis and hot springs at the park’s northern end. The bird life in the park is second to none with half of the bird species in Ethiopia found in ANP. And while the mammals do not rival that of other parks in Africa, there are still many opportunities to encounter wildlife. During the last few weeks at Filoha, I have heard lions and seen hamadryas baboons, vervet monkeys, dik dik, lesser kudu, warthog, spotted hyena, mongoose, waterbuck, genets, a caracal and fresh hippo footprints. But arguably, my absolute highlight was recently spotting three cheetahs passing close by Filoha camp late one afternoon. All one needs is a little bit of patience and some luck.

The flip side of my time in ANP is

witnessing the damage being done to it. The most critical challenges facing ANP are

the large number of livestock in the park; forests being cleared for charcoal; Prosopis and Parthenium -invasive plant species- establishing a foothold, and doum palm being harvested unsustainably. ANP needs to overcome these serious challenges if it going to continue to play a conservation role. While there are no simple solutions to many of the park’s problems, there is good cause for hope. The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), the recently upgraded body governing conservation in Ethiopia, has created several key new positions in ANP. These include specialists in tourism, biology and the community, and 15 new scouts. Two-thirds of these new scouts are local Afar and Kereyu, which is great news as it demonstrates EWCA’s intent to engage with the local community.

There are now also three organisations working in collaboration with EWCA to assist ANP. These are the Sustainable Development of the Protected Area System of Ethiopia (SDPASE), Wildlife for Sustainable Development (WSD) and the Save Awash National Park (SANP) project.

Which ever way you look at it, it is going to take a long time, a lot of hard work and commitment to get Awash back into the state we all want it. We have no illusions about this. But real and positive changes are happening and with your support we can win this battle.

Caracal (Felis caracal)- a rarely spotted resident of ANP. Easily recognisable by the tufts of hair on top of the ears.

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ines By Mat Pines,

Founder of Save Awash National Park

Save Awash National Park is a not for profit project created by the Filoha Hamadryas Project to facilitate the conservation of

Awash National Park’s natural heritage.

www.save-awash-national-park.com

SDPASE Project is boosting wildlife conservation efforts in Ethiopia

The Sustainable Development of the Protected Area System of Ethiopia (SDPASE) is financially supported by the Global Environment Fund (GEF)/United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It is also financially supported [in-kind] by the Ethiopian Government and other co-financers including Frankfurt Zoological Society, African Parks Foundation, Conservation International, Farm Africa/SOS Sahel and others. The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) is charged by the Ethiopian government and UNDP to implement this project. SDPASE has two phases of 4 years each: Stage One is concerned with the capacity building of EWCA and other relevant bodies from the regions. The first stage is being implemented in collaboration with GTZ-IS and the second phase will be implemented by EWCA. The project started on the 1st of October 2008.

Though started four decades ago, protected area management is still in its infancy stage in Ethiopia. As a result, the contribution and role of protected areas in the development effort of the country is not well understood nor working as it should be. This low level of conservation activity is due to many reasons, including the: marginalization of the sector, lack of sufficient funds, lack of trained manpower, etc.

Since its inauguration, SDPASE has been

engaged in a range of activities to help EWCA achieve its conservation objectives. Those activities that can have a knock on effect within protected area management are of particular interest. Activities such as: protected area demarcation, vehicle maintenance and procurement of other important items, training of scouts using national and international staff, website development, and training of EWCA experts in the country and abroad are among the many tasks being financially supported by the project at the moment. SDPASE will continue to support these and other activities in the future as they are considered to be the main obstacles in the way of successful conservation in Ethiopia. By doing this, we envisage that these protected areas will play an important role in the development agenda of the country economically, socially and ecologically.

Nice Shot Taken any nice photos at Awash? If you have and would like it share it, email the image along with your details to: info@save-awash-national-park.com.

Hamadryas baboon

By Lakew Berhanu National Project Coordinator, SDPASE

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Scouts from four national parks, including ANP, are currently participating in an eight week training program being run by SDPASE and EWCA

Threatening Awash: Charcoal

Charcoal production, the scourge of many protected areas throughout the developing world, has found its way into ANP. First noticed in the park’s north-western corner in June 2008, charcoal making spread rapidly along the length of the park’s eastern border to within 2 km of the well known Filoha Hot Springs.

Following up on reports by Save Awash National Park (SANP), the park conducted a campaign to eliminate charcoal production from within its borders. To date more than 30 people have been arrested, dozens of charcoal mounds destroyed mid production, and over 2000 bags of charcoal, with a street value of nearly 160 000 Birr, have been seized or destroyed.

In conjunction with the campaign, SANP and

park representatives met with local Afar elders to discuss the charcoal problem. Beyond all other points raised, the most telling question posed to the elders was “how do they think their children and grandchildren will support themselves when all the forests have been converted into charcoal”. This got the elders thinking and opening up about their own concerns.

The elders confided that most do not support charcoal making but, at the risk of causing conflict within their own communities, have been reluctant to confront the problem. One elder told how he was saddened that their sons had stopped attending school in order to make fast money from the charcoal. Another felt that charcoal money had played a part in introducing HIV into their community. Others admitted to supporting charcoal making as it was the only way they could support their family.

The big positive to come from the meeting was the strengthening of the park-community relationship. Realising the long term implications of charcoal production, the Afar community have since

Responsible Tourism

Tourism has been a part of ANP since the day the park opened in 1966. It has proven to be a significant income earner and an instrument of development not just in the park, but also in the region and the country. Done correctly, tourism should benefit not just the visitors, but also the environment, and the local communities. This ‘Responsible Tourism’ is about "making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit". It requires that operators, hoteliers, governments, local people and tourists take responsibility and action to ensure tourism is sustainable. The World Travel Market adopted this definition of Responsible Tourism for its World Responsible Tourism Day held earlier this year. The purpose of the day was to encourage the industry to take responsibility for making tourism more sustainable and demonstrate their responsibility.

As a tour operator and supporter of Responsible Tourism, I would like to mention some important points that we can all practice to ensure responsible tourism in Ethiopia’s national parks. Please: 1. Minimise negative environmental, social and cultural impacts when travelling. 2. Spend your money locally in order to bring economic benefits to the local environment and host communities. 3. Make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, and to the maintenance of the world’s diversity. 4. Develop meaningful connections with nature and the local people by developing respect for, and an understanding of, local cultural and environmental issues. 5. Take time to understand the nature of wildlife and their relationship with their surroundings. 6. Enjoy observing the wildlife, but be sensitive to their needs. 7. Remember that responsible tourism practices vary between different environments and cultures.

So when you next visit Awash National Park, make sure you practice Responsible Tourism.

By Tariku W/aregay YAMA Tours Ethiopia www.yamatoursethiopia.com

ANP scouts destroying seized bags of charcoal.

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Egyptian geese

provided valuable intelligence on the whereabouts of charcoal workers and have resolved amongst themselves to stop making charcoal. Charcoal is produced by setting alight piled cut timber and burying it in soil to slow burn for two weeks. The resulting charcoal is raked from the soil and bagged. Bark, stripped from trees, is used to produce the rope that ties the end of the bag together. The whole process takes about four weeks. Each mound produces 100-300 bags.

Much of the charcoal produced in ANP

ends up in Addis Ababa where it is used as a cooking fuel and is a key component of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Charcoal is favoured in areas where there is little or no electricity as it is easy to obtain, store and ignite. Charcoal sells for 70-80 Birr per bag in Addis Ababa.

Charcoal production decimates natural forests in a very short period of time. Because charcoal made from living trees produces a higher quality product, charcoal makers often target the largest trees. The result is the transformation of forests to scrubland, the destruction of natural habitats and the creation of areas prone to soil erosion and the spread of invasive plant species such as Prosopis juliflora.

Today, charcoal production has virtually been eradicated from within most parts of ANP, but its prevalence just beyond the park borders is concerning.

Waterbuck Warden

With their shaggy chestnut brown coat and double white patch on their buttocks, Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipysiprymnus) are a handsome animal. However, looks alone may not be enough to save to this magnificent antelope from disappearing from ANP. Recent survey work by Ato Tshager, a park scout, suggests there are less than 100 individuals left in the entire park.

Once present amongst the grassy areas and riverine woodland adjoining the Awash River in the parks south, waterbuck can now only be found at Filoha Hot Springs in the park’s north. Grazing pressure from the pastoralist livestock is thought to be the main reason for the decline in the waterbuck numbers and range. As is the case for most of the wildlife in the park, waterbuck have to compete for access to already depleted grazing land with the livestock, which occupy the best areas.

Poaching is another, albeit smaller, threat. In 2007 a male was killed by a poacher and just one month ago the park scouts stopped another poacher who was about to shoot one. With the number of waterbuck as low as they are, the loss of even one individual is serious!

Fortunately for waterbuck, they have a natural defence that may help protect them from heavy poaching. If not skinned properly, the sweat glands, which waterproof their coat, produces an unpleasant odour and taste in the meat. It is a pity that more wildlife don’t have this adaptation.

Having participated in ANP’s annual survey of waterbuck, Ato Tshager and his fellow scouts, at their own initiative, began regularly monitoring the waterbuck population at Filoha. Thanks to their efforts, we now know that there are two female herds and one bachelor herd in the area and that at least four calves have been born since the last wet season.

Charcoal production can rapidly decimate natural forests, such as this one in ANP

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By Mat Pines, Founder of Save Awash National Park

On the run- Defassa waterbuck are under pressure at ANP.

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Nile crocodile

Keen to support the scouts’ efforts, in June 2009 SANP teamed up with the Austrian Embassy and Richard Argiriou to create the Waterbuck Warden program. Through the program we hope to raise awareness about the waterbucks’ plight, and work with the park and local community to protect and monitor the surviving population.

If you would like any more information about the waterbuck warden program, please write to info@save-awash-national-park.com.

Animals of Awash

DEFASSA WATERBUCK (Kobus ellipysiprymnus) Description: Height at shoulder 122-137cm (48-54in). A robust, thickset antelope with shaggy chestnut brown-greyish coat and double white patch on buttocks. The horns, which only the males have, are heavily ringed and are curved backwards, outwards and upwards. Behaviour, habitat and ecology: Nocturnal and diurnal; despite their name, they are terrestrial and spend little time in water. Inhabits grassy areas near water and riverine woodland where they feed on grass. The females and young males live in herds, while the bulls keep territories through which the females pass. Best time and place to see water buck: Waterbuck can be found most early mornings and late afternoons at Filoha Hot Springs. However they are shy and will often leave the area if disturbed. Conservation status in ANP: Highly endangered

Awash Falls Lodge opens.

Nestled amongst the acacia woodland and riverine forest is the newest addition to Awash National Park- the superb Awash Falls Lodge. Positioned so that it overlooks the Awash falls, the lodge offers 12 shaded view points to enjoy the tranquillity of the falls and the wildlife moving below. Inspired by Ethiopian tradition and constructed with local materials, the lodge has an intimate feel to it and is ideal for individuals, families, and couples on their honeymoon. The eight comfortable cottages come with king size or twin beds, private veranda, full bathroom, electricity points, mosquito nets, ceiling fans and are serviced daily.

Also on offer are small conference facilities and a two storey fully licensed bar and restaurant where guests can enjoy the stunning views with a great meal, drinks and traditional coffee ceremony.

For more details, please contact: Tel: +251 221 191 182 +251 221 191 183 (Off.) E-mail: etta@ethionet.et Website: elephanttour.com.et

Written By Mat Pines, Founder of Save Awash National Park

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Female herd foraging close by to a sitting bull at Filoha Hot Springs.

Black backed jackal

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Coffee ceremony at one of the 12 viewpoints of the Awash falls and river.

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Awash Falls Lodge – a great place to escape to for a relaxing break in tranquil surroundings.