Wildfire has burn 340 hectares of forest in Ethiopia’s Simien National Park, which is found in Amhara Region. The fire, which has begun three days ago, has not yet contained.
Located in Gondar area around Debark town, Simien National Park has been one of the tourist attractions of Ethiopia. Last year it is visited by 5,000 tourists, according to the state broadcaster – ETV. It is not yet clear how the fire has started according to the report, which indicated about the rumour it might be caused by some people in the area who have been complaining about not benefiting from the Park.
The UNESCO registered Simien National Park is home to some extremely rare animals such as the Gelada baboon, the Simien fox and the Walia ibex, a goat found nowhere else in the world. According to UNESCO, massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.
The Simien National Park has jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices dropping some 1,500 meters. The mountains are bounded by deep valleys to the north, east and south, and offer vast vistas over the rugged-canyon like lowlands below. The spectacular scenery of the Simien mountains is considered to rival Colorado’s Grand Canyon, according to UNESCO.