http://allafrica.com/stories/201409120750.html


Ethiopia: Park Expected to Be Removed From Endangered List

By Zerihun Getachew

The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority announced its hope that UNESCO will remove the Simien Mountains National Park from endangered heritages list by 2015.

The Park inscribe in UNESCO's world heritage list in 1978 has been one of the word heritages in danger since 1996.

UNESCO has put four benchmarks set to be fulfilled for the removal of the Park from the list of word heritages in danger.

Realignment of the Park's boundary to exclude the villages along the boundary; extension of the Park to include at least Mesarerya and Lemalino Wildlife Reserves; significant and sustainable reduction in the human population density within the Park and effective conservation within the extended National Park of a larger population of Walia ibex and Simien Fox are the benchmarks.

Simien Mountains National Park Chief Ward, Maru Biadglign said three of the four benchmarks set by UNESCO are already fulfilled and the remaining will be finalized soon to remove the national park from the red-list.

One of the benchmarks, which is the realignment of the park's boundary has already been finalized, extending the total area within the Park to 421 km2 from 136 km2.

The other benchmark incorporating at least two of the wildlife reserves around the Park into the Park's territory.

In this regard, more than the minimum requirement has been undertaken.

Five wildlife reserves, Limalemo, Mesareria, Silke, Kidus Yared and Mount Ras Dejen have incorporated into the Park's territory, he added.

When the Park was listed as endangered in 1996, population of endemic animals such as Walia Ibex, endemic to the Park, and Simien Fox were very small.

Now their population has been increasing and exceeded the target set in the benchmark, Maru said.

Population of the Walia Ibex, endemic to Ethiopia was only 250; it rose to over 900, according to him.

The population of Simien Fox which is endemic to the country has also increased to 102 from 18 in 1996.

This is a great success which will help to remove the Park from the endangered list, he added.

One of the benchmarks, removing human inhabitants from the boundary of the Park, will be carried out when compensation fee is released said Dawud Mume Director- General of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority.

The parliament has already approved the 158 million Birr needed as a compensation fee for inhabitants living within the boundary of the Park.

Debark town Mayor, Hunilign Belay said negotiations with the inhabitants have been carried out for the past years and now it is successful and they are agreed to leave the place.

Some 150 households have been relocated to another area from Arkuazye wildlife reservation, he said.

Negotiations have been concluded with 350 households for the resettlement and they are expecting the release of the money for compensation, according to him.

The park is home to some extremely rare animals such as the gelada baboon, Simen fox and walia ibex, a goat found nowhere else in the world.

Walia ibex on the north scarp of the massif are endemic to the Simen Mountains, with most of the population occurring in the park.

Simen fox are endemic to Ethiopia, and other mammals include the hamadryas baboon, colobus monkey, leopard, caracal, wild cat, spotted hyena, jackal and several large herbivores, including bushbuck, common duiker and klipspringer.

A total of 21 mammals have been recorded, with three endemics and 63 bird species, including seven endemics.

The Park is also home for 400 bird species include lammergeyer, Verreaux's eagle, kestrel, lanner falcon and augur buzzard.

Source: ENA

Thanks Kathi and the late Fred Duckworth would have found this welcoming news.