Borkena
Toronto – The Elephant population in Babile sanctuary in South East Ethiopia is reportedly facing extinction. Their numbers are dwindling from time to time to the point that park authorities are pleading for intervention.
Once home to over 1000 elephants, the number is now reported to be below 215 – according to local sources which cited Woizero Fetiya Assema, representative of Babile Elephant Sanctuary.
“It is on the verge of extinction,” she is cited as saying. She called on the government intervention to overcome the problem. Illegal hunting, new settlements in the park and security problems are key contributing factors.
Kumera Wakjira, Director of Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, is cited as saying work is underway with other stakeholders to control illegal hunting and trafficking of wild animals. There was a meeting with the Ministry of Tourism and Federal Ethics and Anti-corruption commission on the issue of corruption affecting the sector.
It is not the first time the news story about the danger facing the elephant population is making headlines. There appears to be persistence of the problem – apparently due to inaction on the part of the government.
In February 2022, there had been a similar report over possible extinction of the elephant population. At the time, local sources reported that over 10 elephants were killed in a span of six months.
Illegal hunting, new settlements, deforestation, mining activity and expansion of grazing land to the area were among the factors cited for the decline of the elephant population in the area. The illegal settlement was linked to Oromia and Somali regions of Ethiopia.
Hagos Tizazu who was working in the sanctuary at the time reported the number of elephant population reached 300, down from 682 counted over a 12 year period.
The Babile Elephant Sanctuary which covers a 6982 kilometer square area was established in 1978 It is also home to 231 bird species and 31 mammals.
In a related development, Mulaw Shiferaw, head of Altash Park, reported a decreasing buffalo population.
__
Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena
To Support Borkena : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/ – one time support or small monthly options available. Inquire information about it : info@borkena.com
Like borkena on Facebook
To submit Press Release, send submission to info@borkena.com
Add your business to Ethiopian Business Listing / Ethiopian Business Directory
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly.
If you are looking for a miracle of survival, this sanctuary is one of them. It has survived wars, poachers and nature’s calamities. Among wars, it had even survived burn-all and kill-all soldiers of Siad Barre and his ONLF beasts of burden. That is until now. I remember how they were protected during the times of the late Emperor. The one that replaced him was preoccupied massacring the youth in the capital and other towns in the country. The next one had pitching one ethnic group against another. For the current one, elephants may not be part of his ‘synchronicity’ proforma. What depressing news
.