17 May 2016

Ethiopia

Bale Mountains rush hour

I visited Ethiopia in 2007 and again in January 2008. See my 2007 and 2008 Trip Reports.

Debra Libanos Gorge – 1 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 Ziway and the Abiata-Shala National Park – 1 afternoon, May 2007. Bush Hyraxes (Heterohyrax brucei, aka the Yellow-spotted Hyrax), Hippo, Slender Mongoose, Bright’s Gazelle, Oribi.

Guereza Colobus, Colobus guereza

Lake Awassa – 1 night, May 2007. Guerza Colobus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and a White-toothed Shrew sp.

The Bale Mountains – 2 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

Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary – 2 hours, May 2007. Swayne’s Hartebeest, Oribi and Warthogs plus a woeful amount of livestock.

Lake Langano – 1 night, May 2007. Rock Hyraxes, Warthogs and Little Free-tailed Bats (Chaerophon pumila).

The Chenek Plateau, Simien Mountains

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.

Walia Ibex, Capra walie, Simien Mountains

Simien Mountains National Park – 2 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

Post Views: 2,360

Community Reports

Ethiopian Somali Region: 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.