Ethiopia
Bale Mountains rush hour
I visited Ethiopia in 2007, Awash and Bale Mountain National Parks mainly, and again in January 2008 for a few days in the Simien Mountains. In 2024 I returned to the Bale Mountains for a weekend and then spent a week in the Somali Region chasing Dibatags.
Afar Region
Awash National Park – 2 nights, May 2007. Salt’s Dikdiks, Soemmerring’s Gazelles, Beisa Oryx, Lesser Kudus, Abyssinian Hares, Warthogs, Black-backed Jackals, Golden Wolves, Feline Genet, Olive Baboons, Grivet Monkeys, Hamadryas Baboons, Bat-eared Foxes, Rueppell’s Fox, African Grass Rat (Arvicanthus niloticus), White-tailed Mongoose, Sundevall’s Roundleaf Bat, Egyptian Tomb Bat, Cairo Spiny Mouse and a Fringe-tailed Gerbil.
Amhara Region
The Chenek Plateau, Simien Mountains
The Simien Mountains
Walia Ibex, Capra walie, Simien Mountains
Simien Mountains National Park
Two nights, January 2008. Gelada Baboons and Walia Ibex plus three species of rodents – abundant Arvicanthis abyssinicus, a few Otomys typus and possibly an undescribed Lophuromys species.
Simien Mountains
Oromia Region
The Bale Mountains National Park & Harenna Forest
Two nights, May 2007. Olive Baboons, Warthogs, Mountain Nyala, Bohor Reedbucks, Menelik’s Bushbucks, Serval, Golden Wolf, Rock Hyraxes, Starck’s Hares, Klipspringers, Blick’s Grass Mouse (Arvicanthis blicki), Black-clawed Brush-furred Rats (Lophuromys melanonyx), probably Yellow-spotted Brush-furred Rats (Lophuromys flavopunctatus), Ethiopian Wolf, Giant Mole Rat, and Common Duikers.
Ethiopian Wolf, Canis simensis
Two more nights here in 2024 added Bale Monkey, Bushpig and Heller’s Vlei Rat to the list.
Bale Mountains Monkey (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis)
Debra Libanos Gorge
One afternoon, May 2007. Gelada – Bleeding Heart – Baboons are easy to find. There were a few Olive Baboons on the way to a cave just down the escarpment. The cave itself held some Greater Bentwings (Miniopterus inflatus) and what I decided must have been a few Bushveld Horseshoes (Rhinolophus simulator).
Gelada Baboons, Theropithecus gelada
Lake Langano
One night, May 2007. Rock Hyraxes, Warthogs and Little Free-tailed Bats (Chaerophon pumila).
Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary
Two hours, May 2007. Swayne’s Hartebeest, Oribi and Warthogs plus a woeful amount of livestock.
Lake Ziway and the Abiata-Shala National Park
An afternoon, May 2007. Bush Hyraxes (Heterohyrax brucei, aka the Yellow-spotted Hyrax), Hippo, Slender Mongoose, Bright’s Gazelle, Oribi. I returned to Abiata Shala in 2024 for an hour and added Ethiopian Hare and Golden Wolf to the list.
Sidama Region
Guereza Colobus, Colobus guereza
Lake Awassa
One night, May 2007. Guerza Colobus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and a White-toothed Shrew sp.
Somali Region
Dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei). Photo Charles Foley
Gerdame Village
Rufous Sengi (Galegeeska rufescens)
Rufous Sengi, Ethiopian (Northern) Lesser Galago, Abyssinian Hare, Speke’s Gundi, Naked Mole-rat, Unstriped Ground Squirrel, Ammodile, Neumann’s Grass Rat, Heart-nosed False-vampire, African Golden Wolf, African Wildcat, White-tailed Mongoose and Common Genet.
Silver Dik-dik (Madoqua piacentinii)
As well as some great ungulates: Dibatag, Gerenuk, Guenther’s Dik-dik, Silver Dik-dik, Salt’s (Harar) Dik-dik and Desert Warthog.
Speke’s Gundi (Pectinator spekei)
Community Reports
The Somali Region, 2024: Jon Hall, 1 week & 20 species including Rufous Sengi, Ammodile and Dibatag.
Bale Mountains, 2024: Jon Hall, a weekend & 17 species including Bale Monkey, Ethiopian Hare and some good rodents.
Ethiopian Somali Region, 2024: Hakan Pohlstran, 8 days & 13 species including Silver Dikdik, Abyssian Hare and Dibatag
Ethiopia, 2021,22 & 24: Remi Pichard’s report – and fabulous photos – of 46 days in Ethiopia over 3 trips with 34 species including Bale Monkey, Giant Forest Hog, Egyptian Mongoose, Grey’s Zebra and Walia Ibex.
Ethiopia, 2021: Ian Thompson, 3 weeks & 61 species including Bale Monkey, Cheetah and Aardvark.
Ethiopia, 2019: Andreas Jonsson, 6 days & 35 species including Bale Monkey, Aardvark and Caracal.
Cape Clawless Otters, Lake Awasa, 2019: Cheryl Antonucci’s report of a very reliable lodge for Cape Clawless Otters.
Somaliland and the Ogaden, 2018: Andrew Holman, 2 weeks & some nice species including Beira, Gerenuk, Speke’s Gazelles and Speke’s Pectinator, and a just missed Dibatag.
Somali and Gondar, 2018: Stefan Lithner, 2 weeks & at least 38 species including Dibatag, Speke’s Pectinator, Aardwolf, Silver and Harar Dikdiks, Gerenuk and Walia Ibex.
Ethiopia, 2018: Hugh Lansdown, 1 week & 22 species including Ethiopian Wolf, Serval and Bale Monkeys.
Ethiopia, 2018: Sophie Betrisey and Manuel Baumgartner, 17 days & 44 species including Abyssian Genet, Giant Forest Hog, Aardwolf and Gerenuk.
Ethiopia, 2018: Richard Webb, 12 days & 47 species including Gerenuk, Bale Monkey and Cape Clawless Otter.
Bale Mountains & Debre Libanos, 2017: Adam Wentworth, 2 weeks & about 20 species including Starck’s Hare, Serval and Ethiopian Wolf.
Ethiopia’s Somali Region, 2017: Thomas Carlberg, 10 days & 25 mammals including Dibatag and Rufous Elephant Shrew.
Ethiopia, 2016: Richard Webb (Wildwings), 12 days & 44 species including Ethiopian Wolf, Aardwolf, Striped Hyena and Bale Monkey.
Ethiopia, 2016: Tomas Carlberg, 3 weeks & 48 species (this was mainly a birding trip) including Ethiopian Wolf, Honey Badger, Gerenuk and Ethiopian Big-eared Bat.
Ethiopia, 2015: Janco van Gelderen, 18 days & 50+ species including Aardwolf, Aardvark, Salt’s Dikdik, Gerenuk, Lion, Cheetah and Ethiopian Wolf. This is a big file with lots of images (23MB). A much lighter download is here.
Ethiopia, 2015: Curtis Hart, 6 weeks & 72 species including Bale Monkey, Speke’s Pectinator, Naked Mole Rat, Large-eared Giant Mastiff Bat, Caracal, Gerenuk and Wild Dog.
Ethiopia, 2015: Remco Hofland, 3 weeks & 54 species including Lion, Aardwolf, Grevy’s Zebra, Serval, Ethiopian Wolf and some nice bats and rodents. A much bigger file (40MB) with photos is here.
Ethiopia, 2014: John Wright, 2.5 weeks & 42 species including Yellow-winged Bat, Gambian Sun Squirrel, Gunther’s Dik-Dik, Gerenuk and Ethiopian Wolf.
Western Ethiopia, 2014: Matthias de Beenhouwer, 10 days & 42 species including Aardwolf, Leopard, Giant Forest Hog and Marsh Mongoose.
Ethiopia, 2014: Juan Luis Ortega Herranz, 2 weeks & 52 species including Bale Monkey, Caracal, Ethiopian Wolf, and Striped Hyena.
Ethiopia, 2012: Coke Smith, 21 days & 60+ species including Bale Monkeys and Gerenuks.
Ethiopia, 2012: Romain Bocquier, 10 days & 32 species including Clawless Otter, Salt’s Dikdik and Ethiopian Wolf.
Ethiopia, 2011: Richard Webb, 9 days & 43 species including an Aardwolf and Bale Monkey.
Ethiopia, 2009: Vladimir Dinet’s notes of several months and 140 or so species seen including a lot of rodents and bats, Abyssinian Genet, Bale Shrew, and Red-fronted Gazelle. Note that the Warthogs in Awash are not Desert Warthogs, and the Vervet Monkeys at Lake Awassa are Vervet not Grivets.
Ethiopia, 2009: Trevor Hardaker, 2 weeks & 37 species including an Aardvark and Bale Monkey.
Simien Mountains, 2008: Jon Hall, 1 weekend & 5 species including Gelada Baboons and Walia Ibex.
Ethiopia, 2007: Jon Hall, 1 week & 44+ species including Ethiopian Wolf, Serval, Rueppell’s Fox, Greater Long-fingered Bat and Yellow-spotted Hyrax.
Ethiopia, 2007: Stefan Lithner, 3 weeks & 54 species including Gerenuk and Grevy’s Zebra.
Ethiopia, 2007: Steve Anyon-Smith, 5 weeks & 51 species including Caracal and Striped Hyena. Bloody funny too.
Ethiopia, 1996: Uffe Gjøl Sørensen, 1 month & 44 species including Crested Porcupine, Wildcat and Dwarf Mongoose.
Also See
Awash Jackal ID, April 2021
ID required: Grass Rats (Arvicanthis) in the highland, February 2021
Rodent and Hare References for Ethiopia May 2020
Wild or Domestic Cat at Lake Langano? February, 2020
Best Sites for Ethiopian Wolves, RFI. January, 2020
Rodent IDs from Ethiopia. May, 2019
Genet ID from Awash National Park and Alledeghe, October, 2018
Ethiopian Wolves in the Simien Mountains: RFI June, 2018.
Strange Canid in the Bale Mountains (2012). Comments also here.
Ethiopia Mammal Atlas Facebook Page (post pictures and ask questions)
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