The Borana Zone of Oromia Regional State in Ethiopia is among the severely affected areas in Ethiopia due to the drought that has hit the Horn of Africa since mid 2021. The drought that hit Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya is affecting the livelihoods of tens of millions of people within the three countries including serious shortage of food security and access to water.
According to a recent report by the regional organization, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the drought leftover 40.4 million people food insecure in the region which needs urgent support. In addition to its impacts on the livelihood and food security of the people in the Horn region, the drought badly affected animals, both wildlife and domestic.
The areas that experience the drought are dominantly pastoralist and semi-pastoralist communities which depend on livestock production, cattle, camel, ships and goats. In addition, there are also national parks in the drought-stricken areas, especially in Ethiopia and in Kenya. The drought perished both the domestic animals and the wildlife. Borana National Park is among the parks found in drought affected areas of the Horn region.
The drought in Ethiopia’s Borana zone of Oromia state was not different; it perished both wild and domestic animals and created food insecurity. It perished hundreds of thousands of livestock resources and affected the livelihood of the Borana Community, mostly pastoralists dependent on livestock production for their livelihood. Borana Zone is among the livestock richest areas of the African top livestock producer country, Ethiopia and Borana Zone’s cattle resource is unique in its species.
Similarly, Borana Zone is among the richest wildlife lowland areas of the Horn of Africa. Borana National Park, found within Borana, is a home for over 40 mammals, which includes Zebra, Lions, Elephants, Giraffe and others. In addition the park is home for 286 species of birds, four of them endemic birds to Ethiopia found only in the park and different species of reptiles. Established in 2013, the Borana National Park includes the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Ethiopian Herald had Approached Borana National Park’s Administrator Nuguse Wata to discuss the level and impacts of the drought on the wildlife and measures to be taken in December 2021. During that interview Nuguse said that since it includes the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary, Borana National Park is among the wildlife species-rich parks found in lowland areas of the Eastern Africa region. During that time, he told The Ethiopian Herald that though efforts were underway to minimize the impacts of the drought on the wildlife and their settlements, due to the severity of the drought, the task was tough. Passing this tough time, now Borana National Park is reviving from the drought.
In recent weeks, the Borana Zone has secured rainfall and the area is reviving from the impacts of the severe drought. To discuss the current developments of the Borana National Park and the wildlife situation within and around the park, The Ethiopian Herald once again approached park’s head, Nuguse and settlers of the community around the park.
For Nuguse though the situation was tough, thanks to the community members who played a crucial role in protecting the park and participating in the wildlife care, it did not decrease the number of wildlife as we were frightened. Though hundreds of thousands of livestock perished due to the drought, due to their resilient nature and additional protections by the park and the community, the impact of the drought on the wildlife was minimized, according to Nuguse.
In the first place, thanks to the community the park remains safe and protected from unmanageable overgrazing and unplanned penetrations by the community. Though the community faced serious fodder and grazing shortages for their livestock, surprisingly the community never penetrated the park rather worked hand-in-hand with the administration of the park to protect the park and to care for the wild animals. Due to the commitment of the community to protect the park from unplanned penetrations and continued support to the park including in providing water access to the wildlife, the joint efforts were successful in minimizing the impacts though it was hard to control it fully.
Totally, around 20 wild animals were reportedly perished due to the drought, Nuguse said. Shortage of water and grass and capacity limitation to provide enough water and feeding for all areas of the park were among the reasons that make it tough to save all wild animals. The park has five zones within it. Still, Nuguse said, this was unthinkable without the continuous support and participation of the community.
Protecting nature is one pillar of the Gada system of the Oromo people, Nuguse stated, adding that by applying the principles of the Gada System, the Borana Community gives due emphasis to conserving nature. “Due to this developed culture that driven from the Gada system, during this year’s drought that many saw it as the severe in the last 50 and 60 years, the people in Borana protects the safety of the park from unnecessary penetrations and cares the wild animals within and around the park,” he reiterated.
“Due to water shortage during the drought seasons, the wild animals escaped out of the park in search of water. At this time, the people supported the wild animals by providing water since most water availability is in holes as the surface water dried due to the drought” Nuguse noted. The people in the community, in addition to protecting the park from unnecessary penetration, they support the wild animals that lose their weight due to the drought and provide water from the holes.
Nuguse praised Guracha Gelma Gelgalo’s exemplary action during this drought season in protecting wild animals, though caring for the wildlife is a common culture of the community. Guracha found a foal, a baby zebra, which loses its physical weight and is struggling to survive from a difficult topography. She withdraws the foal from that difficult area and provides water and necessary fodder.
The Ethiopian Herald approached Guracha about the drought, its impacts on the community and the community’s role in protecting nature. Guracha’s family, living in Sabi area of Borana, is among the community affected by the drought. Her family lost tens of cattle and her neighbors and relatives too. But, the impact of the drought on their livestock has never forced them to penetrate the protected national park of Borana which is the home for wildlife. Not only have that, the community doing their best to protect the wild animals liked their domestic animals.
“I found a foal Zebra falling into a hole in search of water and struggling to withdraw from the hole. The baby Zebra was tiny due to loss of its weight due to the drought. I helped the foal to withdraw from the hole and I provided water for it. In addition, I washed the foal since it was touched up by mud,” Guracha stated. Then, after she washed and fed the foal, she took the little foal to her home and called a local veterinarian.
An animal doctor comes and gives necessary medicine to the foal. After days of follow-up by her and the animal doctor, the foal became healthy and Guracha took the foal to the Park administration. She provided the foal to Nuguse, park head. The park administration accepts the foal with due respect and Nuguse told me that staff of the park visited Guracha’s family to honor and recognize the family’s protection for wild animals. Now, the foal is with its Zebra family in the park and the park is reviving following the recent weeks rainfall, Niguse said.
Guracha noted that caring for wild animals is a common tradition of the Borana people and her action is not a unique one. Borana people protect wild animals like their livestock. In their day-to-day activity, during the drought months, every household fulfills its responsibility in protecting the park and the wild animals as it is a resource of the community.
In addition to the community, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and Oromia Regional State supports the park’s administration during the drought. For the future, Nuguse recommends that empowering the society, building the capacity of national parks, establishing strong financial mechanisms to the parks and promoting the parks would help to build residence during droughts.
Currently, the area is back to its greenery and the wild animals are now enjoying themselves as nature turns its bright face for them.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The Ethiopian Herald 24 May 2022
