Wildlife

Three of Ethiopia’s endemic large mammals are resident in the Simien. Like the plants the animal species have originated in the northern continents as well as the southern regions of Africa, and their isolation in the specialized habitat of the Simien, has enabled them to evolve into a collection of unique creatures.

The Gelada baboon is the most common of these, with an estimated population of at least 7,000. On our trek we will often see grazing herds of up to 400 individuals.

The Walia ibex a type of wild goat, is now found only in the Simien, and in the 1960s was poached close to extinction. The population is now on the increase, and we would expect to see them when we reach the escarpments, where they live on nearly vertical cliffs faces, and narrow ledges.

We would be very fortunate to sight a Simien fox otherwise known as the Abyssinian wolf, which is in fact a member of the dog family! It is extremely rare, with no more than 50 individuals concentrated in the high alpine meadows. Other mammals are klipspringers, bushbucks, hyenas, and jackals.

To get some very interesting information about Cheladas, visit the website of ´Gelada Research Project´, University of Michigan.