Africa Rocks - Ethiopian Highlands

Africa Rocks - Ethiopian Highlands

Jul 15, 2021

The Ethiopian Highlands rise above the continent, this region of rugged mountains and windswept grassy plateaus is known as the Roof of Africa or the African Alps. This challenging habitat is home to some unique species, and is home to 80% of Africa's tallest mountains.

The rugged Ethiopian Highlands consists of the Western Highlands and the Eastern Highlands. These two sections are divided by the vast Eastern Rift Valley, which runs for the northeast to the southwest. The Blue Nile flows through this region.

This craggy, region houses one of Africa's largest native animal populations. Most of the Highland animal life lives in two National parks the Simien and Bale. In the Simien Mountains we can find the endangered Walia Ibex, this wild goat lives on the narrow ledges of mountains. Sporting large curved horns that on males can reach more than 3ft. The Walia Ibex has no natural predators but has been hunted for its meat leaving an population estimated at 500 individuals by the late 1990's. The Mountain Nyala is confined to the forests of the Bale National Park, where roughly 4,000 of these animals reside. Mountain Nyalas congregate in herds of up to 10. These animals were discovered in 1908 and classified in 1919.

The Ethiopian Wolf is regularly used as a national symbol of Ethiopia. They travel in packs of six members, an hunt mostly rodents, namely the giant molerat. By the late 1990's, it was estimated that there were only 400 of these wolves left in the Simien and Bale mountains.

Blue-Winged Goose favors marshy areas at elevations of at least 6,000ft. This bird has a 12 to 15 inch wingspan and will nest in the highland moorlands in flocks of up 100 birds. The Wattled Ibis is another Ethiopian native. This sociable bird travels in flocks of up to 100 as well. The call it makes can be heard miles away and sounds like "haa-haa-haa-haa-". These birds can be found along rivers with overhanging cliffs in the savannas and among juniper plants. Their nests consist of bark, moss and stick built in groups along the cliffs.

As one of Ethiopia's main exports Coffee can be found here, as well as Ensete, a close relative to the banana. Ensete's leaf stems and inner bark are ground into edible paste, and other parts of the plant are used for roofs. The fragrant purplish flower of the Hagenia is often taken in a powdered form, diluted by water to kill tapeworms. The Red-Hot Poker can be found throughout the Bale Mountains and its orange, spear-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds. The cream-colored Ethiopian rose is Africa's only rose. The edible fruits it produces are high in vitamins and eaten in times of food shortages. Eucalyptus was brought in after heavy deforestation stripped areas nearly clean of trees.

ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS SPECIES:

(Two species of mammals reside here)

HAMADRYAS BABOON (Papio hamadryas) - When the sun comes up family groups of this cliff dwelling primate gather into bands of up to 100 individuals to begin their daily march. Where they go down the cliffs and spend the day foraging for food. By late afternoon, they will climb back up and settle for the night in the craggy ledges that provide safety to these animals.

These baboons were highly regarded in ancient times, for example ancient Egyptians believe these baboons or sacred baboons to be representatives of the Egyptian god of learning and were often mummified after death. Though they are extinct in Egypt, we can find these monkeys with large populations in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and the Ethiopian Highlands.

These social monkeys live in large groups that have a well-defined hierarchy. The core social unit is made up of a single adult male, several females, and their offspring. Adult males will be twice as heavy as females and have a mantle of long hair that reaches down to their hips. They are also defined by the silvery specks in their cheek tufts. Grooming is another bonding activity, and the higher individuals in the hierarch get the highest spots on the rocks to sit. Threat behaviors amongst each other include tension yawns, where an individual displays large-canine teeth, staring, lip-smacking and head bobbing.

These primates are omnivorous; eating primarily grass seeds, flowers, berries and roots. Those in Arabia will eat palm nuts and cactus fruit. Though plant matter is their primarily diet they will also eat, bird eggs, insects and small mammals.

GELADA BABOON (Theropithecus gelada) - This is the most common of Ethiopia's large native mammals. The lion baboon or bleeding heart baboon as they are sometimes referred as, resides throughout the Simien mountains but can also be found in the Muga Valley Gorge. These monkeys live along the gorges and escarpments of the Ethiopian Highlands at elevations of 5,000 to 14,700 feet. They stick close to cliffs to use them as sleeping sites and climb up to the plateaus for their daily grazing and social interactions. They are considered the world's most terrestrial primate species, their dexterous fingers allow them to pick blades of grass, with 90% of their diet consisting of grass blades. The red, hourglass or heart-shaped patch on their chest indicates fertility in females and virility in males.

NUBIAN IBEX (Capra nubiana) photo was taken in Feb. 2019. Animal is currently not on display. This species of ibex can be distinguished by the backward curving horns.

Next time we will take a look into the Acacia Woodlands and see what life dwells in that habitat. Until then, Safe Travels!

Enjoy this post?

Buy Zoos Travelers a coffee

More from Zoos Travelers