Indigenous Animals & Plants

The Major Endemic Mammals of Ethiopia

Gelada baboon
Starck's hare

Semien Fox:

Habitat: Bale. The animal is endemic, and is the size and colour of a European Red Fox, but with long legs, longer muzzle, and a striking black and white tail.

Menelik's bushbuck

Habitat: Bale Mountains
Menelik's Bushbuck is similar to the other species commonly found over most of Africa. The distinct differences of Menelik's Bushbuck are that the adult male is a jet-black color,and both sexes are long-haired

Mountain Nyala

Habitat: Bale. endemic

Swayne's hartebeest

Habitat: Nechsar National Park. endemic

Walia ibex

Goat Family, found on the cliffs of the Semien Mountains.

The main Indigenous Plants of Ethiopia

Abyssinian Rose
St. John's wort
Hygiene Abyssinica
Giant lobelia, endemic
Schefflera abyssinica
Rappanea simensis trees
Rosa abyssinica, the only indigenous African rose.

The terms above may be too technical to the layman, and you do not have to be a botanist to enjoy the forest.

The grassy forest floor enables you to have easy walking and viewing of animals. There is a wonderful fruity smell of fallen Hagenia leaves that rise from your path. This large tree of the rose family, has separate male and female species. The female contain anthelmintic, and are widely used in a decoction against the tapeworm. That is why the tree is called 'kosso' tree, 'kosso' standing for tape worm. This tree is also very useful for wooden crafts.