Wildlife, dense green forests, unique landscapes, water bodies, active volcanoes, cultural and religious festivals, ancient civilizations, architectural arts and indigenous wisdom are mostly the top preferences that many people would like to enjoy and file the memories in their minds as parts of their adventurous lives.
Ethiopia is one of the richest countries with many of the aforementioned and more untapped tourism resources. Even though the country has been doing a lot for the development of the tourism sector, much more effort is mandatory if it has to unleash its potential and benefit from the smokeless industry.
This great country, from north to south, east to west, is blessed with diversified, unique and endemic wildlife species, breathtaking landscapes and natural sites. It is home for the Walia Ibex an endemic mammal in Ethiopia confided to Semien Mountain National Park. The likes of it is not found nowhere around the world.
It is obvious that the Walia Ibex and Read Fox have popularity for being unique and found in Ethiopia alone. Therefore, this writer has chosen to focus on a very special wild animal that is attracting tourists from around the globe.
People may not easily identify the differences between this particular wild animal and the rest of its kind. As a result it does not come as a surprise if they see and call it by the common name stripped zebra or just zebra.
It is called the Harree Diidoo in Oromifa or Barroo Kekello, Grevy’s Zebra in English and its scientific name goes as Equas Brevy. Grevey’s zebra is physically larger than other stripped zebras. It has also bigger ears. Its black and white strips are thin or narrow and closely lined to each other. Its belly from the front to the back legs is gray white.
This fascinating wild animal is currently found in Alledeghi Wildlife Reserve of Afar State, Borena National Park of Oromia State and Chelbi Wild Animal preserved area in Southern Nations Nationalies and Peoples State.
In the 1970s, Grevy’s Zebra, which is one of the most beautiful
and wary wild animals, used to be largely found in East Africa particularly,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia with estimated population of
15,000.
Due to natural and manmade problems the Grevey’s Zebra is currently confined itself to Ethiopia and Kenya. Recent studies also indicate that its population size has come down by eighty percent due to the above mentioned factors mainly illegal poaching.
Meanwhile a study has stated that The Grevy’s Zebra of Alledeghi has a unique mytocohondrial DNA Haptyes, which makes it different from the ones found in SNNPs State and Kenya.
Tourists travel additional 65 killometeres to reach the site inhabited by this precious wild animal, according to Dr. Fanuel Kebede Wildlife Research and Monitoring Director at the Ethiopian Wild Life Conservation Authority (EWCA).
However, Grevy’s Zebra is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List and is CITES Appendix. Fanuel indicates on his study paper that poaching for meat and medicine, rapid population growth are threatening the existence of Grevy’s zebra in the region. It was noted on the study that while the increased potential of hybridization threatens the genetic integrity of the Kenyan portion of Grevy’s population, the isolated population of Grevy’s zebra in the Alledeghi Plain of Ethiopia is insulated from this problem, but still faces challenges such as inbreeding and genetic drift, which is a change in the frequency of an existing gene variant.
Dr. Faduel describes the Grevy’s zebra in Ethiopia is an important flagship species for the Alledeghi Plains grassland. Noting its unique genetic makeup, he suggested for a strong community-based conservation program in the area where it is populated.
When engaging community in conservation programs, it is obvious that the result will be a win-win for humans, the wild life and nature. Fanuel told The Ethiopian Herald that that the Alledeghi Grevy’s and the people lived together for millenniums. “This is not the result of modern conservation programs. The people have learned to share resources and live together with the Grevy’s for many years and they didn’t destroy them. They use the area for grazing. Therefore, it is better to have a community based conservation strategy that benefits both the people and the Grevy’s,” he stressed.
On the other hand if modern conservation systems are mandatory, implementations need to be on the right time for the right place so the Nation can rescue its endangered wild animals and earn more foreign currency from the smokeless industry.
If the protection task for the national parks are also more alert on manmade and natural crisis and is supported by technology in a way that does not harm nature, we would not have seen the smokes that we recently witnessed in Semen and Bale Mountains National Parks.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday June 9, 2019
BY HENOK TIBEBU
