21-23 December 2019

After the long dreamed meeting and the beauty of the Sanetti plateau, we continue our journey towards the southern slopes of the Bale massif where the little-known Harenna Forest is located.

Wit hits 4 000 square km of surface, it is one of the rare preserved forests of the country. It is very dense and difficult to penetrate, which means that its flora and fauna are still well protected, but until when?

Economic development, climate change and population growth threaten the entire ecosystem of Bale Park, like all parks in the world for that matter.

We spent intense days in this simply wonderful forest. It was too short, but, unfortunately, the only possible accomodation is an extremely expensive lodge, run by English people which, unless you have a stretch budget, does not allow for long stays. Next time we should explore the possibility of camping in a village, which is apparently not always easy in very communal Ethiopia.

The most striking observations were two Frogs and a Cameleon found by our young guide Hassan, two caracals running by the side of the road and the very discret Bale Mountains vervet, endemic to this forest.

Other visited regions :

-Rift Valley 1 (lakes and lots of birds)

- Bale mountains

- The south: Negele, Yabello (endemics and savannahs)

- Rift Valley 2 (back to big lakes)

- Gibe gorge, Jema valley and Ankober (great rivers and Geladas)

- Awash (beautiful savannah and heat)