Year of Establishment: 1966 G.C
Area: 756 sq.km
Found: in Afar and Oromia regions 215 km away from Addis Ababa (the
capital city).
Key species: 46 species, including Beisa Oryx, Greater & lesser Kudu, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Swayne’s hartebeest, lion, Hamadryas and Anubis baboon and their hybrids, Defassa waterbuck, Salt’s dik-dik. There are 5 endemic birds among the 392 species to be found in the park. Resident species include green wood hoopoe, red-and yellow barbet, emerald spotted wood dove, carmine bee-eater several bustard species, fish eagle, tawny eagle, lanner and pygmy, falcon, black shouldered kite, dark chanting goshawk, several varieties of kingfishers and rollers, ostrich and lammergeyer.
Unique physical feature: dramatic Water fall, hot springs, Fentale
crater, Doumplam forest.
General description: Awash national park is the oldest and most
developed wildlife reserve in Ethiopia. Featuring the 1,800-metre
Fantalle Volcano, extensive mineral hot-springs and extraordinary
volcanic formations, this natural treasure is bordered to the south
by the Awash River. The wildlife consists mainly of East African
plains animals. Oryx, bat-eared fox, caracal, aardvark, Columbus and
green monkeys, Anubis and Hamadryas baboons, klipspringer, leopard,
bushbuck, hippopotamus, Soemmering's gazelle, cheetah, lion, kudu
and 450 species of bird all live within the parks.
Visitor facilities: Standard lodges on the edge of Awash gorge, camp
site beside river, and there is also a museum.