Gambela National Park
Encyclopedia
Gambela National Park is a proposed National Park, but the steps needed to fully protect it by the government of Ethiopia
have not been completed as of 2002. Located in the Gambela Region
, its 5061 square kilometers of territory is encroached upon by cotton
plantations and refugee camp
s.
The general topography of the Park is flat, with some areas of higher ground where deciduous woodland and savanna occur; these higher areas are often rocky with large termite mounds. About 66% of the area is considered shrubland, 15% is forest, while 17% has been modified by man. Gambela National Park also supports extensive areas of wet grassland and swamps where the native grasses grow over 3 meters in height.
The Gambela Park was established primarily to protect two species of endangered wetland antelopes: the White-eared Kob and the Nile Lechwe
. Other wildlife reported as living here include populations of elephant
, African Buffalo
, lion
, roan antelope
, tiang, Lelwel Hartebeest
, olive baboon
, and guereza monkey
. Several birds only found in this area include the shoebill stork, the Long-tailed Paradise Whydah and the Red-throated
and Green Bee-eaters.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
have not been completed as of 2002. Located in the Gambela Region
Gambela Region
Gambela is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. Previously known as "Region 12", its capital is Gambela. Lying between the Baro and Akobo Rivers, the western part of Gambela includes the Baro salient....
, its 5061 square kilometers of territory is encroached upon by cotton
Cotton production in Ethiopia
Cotton is grown throughout Ethiopia at elevations above 1000 meters and below 1400 meters. Because most of the lowlands lack adequate rainfall, cotton cultivation depends largely on irrigation.-History:...
plantations and refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s.
The general topography of the Park is flat, with some areas of higher ground where deciduous woodland and savanna occur; these higher areas are often rocky with large termite mounds. About 66% of the area is considered shrubland, 15% is forest, while 17% has been modified by man. Gambela National Park also supports extensive areas of wet grassland and swamps where the native grasses grow over 3 meters in height.
The Gambela Park was established primarily to protect two species of endangered wetland antelopes: the White-eared Kob and the Nile Lechwe
Nile Lechwe
The Nile Lechwe, Wasserbock or Mrs Gray's Lechwe or waterbuck is an endangered species of antelope found in floodplains in Southern Sudan and far south-western Ethiopia...
. Other wildlife reported as living here include populations of elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, African Buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
, lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, roan antelope
Roan Antelope
The Roan Antelope is a savanna antelope found in West, Central, East Africa and Southern Africa.Roan Antelope stand about a metre and half at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kilograms. Named for the "roan' colour , they have a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks and a black face,...
, tiang, Lelwel Hartebeest
Lelwel Hartebeest
The Lelwel Hartebeest is an antelope native to Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda....
, olive baboon
Olive Baboon
The olive baboon , also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae . The species is the most widely spread of all baboons: it is found in 25 countries throughout Africa, extending south from Mali to Ethiopia and to Tanzania. Isolated populations are also found in some...
, and guereza monkey
Mantled Guereza
The mantled guereza , also known simply as the guereza, the eastern black-and-white colobus, or the Abyssinian black-and-white colobus, is a black and white colobus monkey, a kind of Old World monkey...
. Several birds only found in this area include the shoebill stork, the Long-tailed Paradise Whydah and the Red-throated
Red-throated Bee-eater
The Red-throated Bee-eater is a species of bird in the Meropidae family.This species has a large range, and is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania,...
and Green Bee-eaters.