Fire in Halaydege Asbot National Park Burns 350-400 Hectares, Threatens Wildlife
A fire in Halaydege Asbot Proposed National Park, which burned for days, has been brought under control. An estimated 350-400 hectares of grassland were affected, and some wildlife, including Elana snakes, were harmed. Park officials confirmed that agile animals escaped, but immobile or newborn animals may have been injured. The park, home to 244 bird species and 42 mammals, was established to protect the rare field donkey found only in Kenya and Ethiopia.
While we were extinguishing the fire, we found burned species of Elana snakes. We estimate that between 350 to 400 hectares of grassland have been burned," stated the park authorities.
The fire that broke out in the Halaydege Asbot Proposed National Park and remained uncontrolled for days has now been brought under control, confirmed the park and the Ethiopian Wildlife Authority to Tikvahe Ethiopia.
Following this, Tikvahe Ethiopia inquired about the extent of the damage caused by the incident and learned that wildlife had been burned, and an estimated 350 to 400 hectares of grassland were affected.
What did the park official, Mr. Ahmed Idris, say?
"The fire started on February 1, 2017 (Ethiopian Calendar), due to unknown reasons. It was brought under control yesterday at 10:00 AM. Today, starting from 11:00 AM, we were in the forest and confirmed that it has been completely extinguished.
Most of the agile and fast-moving wild animals escaped. However, immobile or newborn wild animals may have been harmed.
While extinguishing the fire, we found burned species of Elana snakes. However, a survey needs to be conducted to assess the extent of the damage," he said.
When asked how much of the park was burned, they responded, "It needs to be measured. We estimate that between 350 to 400 hectares of grassland have been burned."
"Due to the dry grass, the fire spreads quickly and is difficult to control with human effort alone. Therefore, beyond human control, graders and loaders were used to create firebreaks," they explained.
The park is home to 244 bird species, 42 mammals, and other animals. "It was established to protect the largest field donkey, which is found only in Kenya and Ethiopia," they added.
Before COVID-19, the park attracted up to 200,000 tourists. However, after the pandemic, the number of tourists decreased, reducing revenue from 50,000 to 100,000.
The park, located 27 kilometers from Addis Ababa, covers an area of 1,099 square kilometers. It is home to plants such as Woyra, Habesha tid, and Zemba, and features 40 kilometers of grassland with scattered shrubs.
Sources
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