Awash National Park

Awash National Park is located 225 km east of Addis Ababa, the Park stretches 30km east to west and a little less from north to south. The terrain is mainly acacia woodland and Savanna grassland. Wildlife’s  At all places and all times it is possible to see game: Oryx, Soemmerring's gazelle and wild pig are common. Slightly less frequent are the furry waterbuck which tend to appear near the river in the late afternoon. The tiny dik-dik, not easy to spot in the speckled shade of the acacia thorn, zebra grazing the plains to the west of Fantale, cheetah, serval and leopard are also there but it is not easy to spot them; baboons, both Anubis and hamadryads, kudus, lesser and greater, the giant tortoise, hippo, reedbuck, ardvark and caracal are also represented.

Bird life Over four hundred species are recorded for the park: They range from the great ostrich, frequently and easily observed, and the less common Secretary Bird and Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, to the flashes of brilliant pink which are the Carmine Bee-eaters, and the Abyssinian Roller with turquoise and purple, wings. And between these two extremes, birds of the riverine forest, Coucal, Turaco, Go-away Birds; birds of prey; and birds of the savannah.  To the north at Filwoha lies the hot springs oasis in its groves of palm trees.  The Awash river gorge in the south of the park has some spectacular waterfalls near the park headquarters.