AFROALPINE HIGHLANDS ► Northern Ethiopia

Simien Mountains (Gondar)

With over 250km² of Afroalpine habitats, this is the largest wolf range north of the Rift Valley. Steep escarpments limit Afroalpine areas along the north-facing slopes of the massif, but elsewhere agriculture and encroachment sets the lower limit at altitudes as high as 3,700- 3,900 m. Only a small portion of Afroalpine hbaitats lies within the Simien Mountains National Park, created in 1969 to preserve the high altitude biota including the gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) and the walia ibex (Capra ibex).

The Geech-Chenek area, within the National Park, is affected along its southern border by the construction of a road and newly ploughed fields. Bwahit, west of the park, contain the least disturbed habitats. A low-lying corridor between Bwahit and Silki is highly vulnerable to further agricultural expansion. Short grasslands with signs of overgrazing characterize the habitat in Silki and Ras Dejen. It is believed that wolves in Simien were more common in the past.

Mount Guna (Gondar)

The isollated peak of Mt Guna is the smallest Afroalpine range (~50km²) currently sustaining an isolated population. This isolated patch is limited to the east by steep escarpments and on its western slopes by newly cultivated fields, human encroachment and degraded pastures, up to 3,650 m. Most people in the area report seeing wolves but some alledge that human encroachment is negatively affecting the population. Attitudes towards wolves are in general positive and wolf predation on livestock is not perceived as a problem.

North Wollo highlands (Wollo)

In North Wollo there are around 150 km² of Afroalpine habitats distributed rather discontinuously. The Abuna Josef massif, near the famous city of Lalibela, is the largest area. It is loosely connected by narrow ridges with the smaller Aboi Gara range to the east. Approximately 20 km south is the Delanta range, where wolves appear to be most abundant. Overgrazed meadows and cultivated fields restricts habitats sutbale for wolves to areas above 3,700-3,800m, or around 3,500m in Delanta. Some people in these highlands believe that wolves are recovering from a period of persecution in the past, but negative attitude towards wolves exist as a result of invoked wolf predation on livestock. In some areas the Ethiopian wolf is perceived as the main livestock killer.

South Wollo highlands (Wollo)

Near 250 km² of Afroalpine habitats persist in the South Wollo region. This is the second largest area north of the Rift Valley, even though agriculture and human settlements expands up to 3,700-3,800 m. An exception is the range in the Denkoro State Forest, created to protect the last remnant of Erica forest in northern Ethiopia. Here grasslands extended as low as 3,200 m. Afroalpine habitats are distributed along a main massif with narrower ridges heading off. Vast areas of short grasslands and narrow corridors appear degraded by overgrazing. East of the main massif, a commercial sheep farm recently established in a small Afroalpine patch called Guguftu, where areas has been ploughed to cultivate pastures. Wolves in Guguftu became extinct in rcent yeras. People in South Wollo believe that wolf populations are declining as a result of the pastures being overgrazed and of direct persecution in the past. Although negative attitude towrdas wolves arise from a livestock predation conflicts, spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are considered the main predator in these areas.

Mt Choke (Gojjam)

There are over 130 km² of continuous Afroalpine habitats in Mt Choke, sourrounded by escarpments or agricultural fields up to 3,700 m. This is the largest Afroalpine range where wolves are currently extinct. Interviews with local people indicate that the extinction might have occurred several decades ago, since even the oldest respondents did not remember seeing wolves in their entire lives. In their place, common jackals were frequently observed in the afroalpine range.

Arsi Mountains (Arsi)

Thre are nearly 900 km² of Afroalpine habitats in the Arsi region, the largest range after Bale. Until recently, approximately 50 km² were included in the protected area of the Bora Luku Hunting Block. The limit of cultivated fields are lower than in the northern highlands. A broad band of Erica moorlands, extensively burnt, surrounds the grasslands and meadows at higher altitudes. Galama is the largest range, where wolves are also more common, connected to Mt Chilalo by a low saddle called Chelelaka. There is an additional small Afroalpine patch the south in Mt Kaka, where wolves are also present.

Lack of conflict due to wolf predation on livestock is allegedly the consequence of little contact between wolves and people. High altitude grasslands in Arsi are only grazed seasonally and there are few permanent settlements above the line of cultivation.