29 January 2020

Ethiopian Wolf best sites

I am wondering if anybody has updates on the best sites for Ethiopian Wolf? There are forum posts from 2018 and then often with respondents looking back 2 or 3 years, but given the ongoing problems with livestock incursion and canine distemper virus I thought it sensible to ask again. I’m planning a trip for the end of 2020.

Thanks very much, Marcel Holyoak

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12 Comments

  • 29 January 2020
    Terry Goble

    Sanetti Plateau is the best option. Occasionally seen in the Simiens but that would need a bit of luck.

  • 29 January 2020
    kittykat23uk

    I have heard that within the Bale mountains, in addition to the sanetti plateau, the Webb valley and sodota areas are good. But I haven’t been there yet and I really would love to go at some point.

  • 29 January 2020
    Alex Schouten

    I was in the Bale Mountains last november and I have seen a few Ethiopian wolves on the Sanetti plateau. All in the same area, around the Sanetti campsite. According to our driver this is the best place in the Bale Mountains to see the wolf. And yes, even on 4000 meters altitude there is livestock, unfortunately…

  • 29 January 2020
    Mogens Trolle

    Hi there. You could try contacting Yvonne Levene, the co-owner of the excellent Bale Mountain Lodge on the ‘far side’ of Bale Mountains (in an area where you also find Bale Mountains vervet and forest lions). When I was there they had well-educated guides specialized in locating Ethiopian wolves. http://www.balemountainlodge.com. Kind regards, Mogens

    • 31 January 2020
      Alex Schouten

      Depends on your budget….. The Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel in Goba is a decent hotel for a good price. From there it’s about 1 hour to the Saneti Camp on the plateau. From the Bale Mountain Lodge its about the same time/distance. The wolves are not so easy any more along the main road due to cattle grazing. So trekking in the area (with camping) probably gives you a better chance to see the wolf.
      I was supposed to go to to the Guassa Community Lodge north from Debre Berhan for the gelada’s and the wolf. Unfortunately the road was closed due to flooding (in the dry season….) and no idea when it would be open again. So no experience from this area, which sounds very good and needs some more visitors.
      By the way, the area around Goba was not safe in november last year.

  • 29 January 2020
    Karine

    You would need a lot of luck to see wolves in the Simien NP, while on the plateau of the Bale Mountains NP, you will for sure spot them, especially close to the camp site (many rodents in this area).

  • 29 January 2020
    Judy

    Was in Ethiopia end of Dec 2019. Saw 1 per day the 4 days I spent at Sanetti Plateau while in Bale Mtns. None in Simien Mtns.

  • 29 January 2020
    maholyoak

    Thanks very much for all of the responses. It sounds like the Bale Mountains are the place to go.
    Marcel

  • 30 January 2020
    Stephen Babbs

    I have seen one in the Simien but that was in four days trekking. I saw 15 while spending three days trekking in the Bale mountains including one group of 8.

    • 31 January 2020
      kittykat23uk

      Is it better to go with a trekking company and camp at a few different sites in Bale or would it be better to get a vehicle and be based in Goba for a few days? I see a few companies that do trekking in Bale.

  • 31 January 2020
    Stephen Babbs

    We saw ours from the trek. It is rather basic but a wonderful place to trek as very few people do whereas the Simien mountains are very popular. Whether it is worth it from a purely seeing wildlife point of view, I can’t really say.

  • 16 February 2020
    Philip Precey

    Just back from 2 days on the Sanetti Plateau: we had three sightings of the wolf on the first day (drove across to Harenna Forest and back again), with two fairly distant animals sitting in the sun and one close animal hunting and eating Giant Root Rat, and none on the second (although just missed a group of three that disappeared over the ridge before we got there).

    Also two troops of Bale Monkeys in the forest, Klipsringer, and a Zorilla in the burned area before the plateau!

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