The Ethiopian wolf
Hunting on the plateau at dawn.
Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — CC BY 2.0 · Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — CC BY 2.0 · Rod Waddington — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — CC BY 2.0 · Laika ac from UK — CC BY-SA 2.0
Bale Mountains National Park in Ethiopia covers about 2,150 square km of the Bale Mountains and Sanetti Plateau, south-east of Addis Ababa. Its habitats have one of the highest rates of animal endemism in the world, and it joined the World Heritage List in 2023. It holds Africa's largest area of Afromontane habitat, a scene unlike what visitors expect of Africa. Most of it lies above 3,000 m, and its highest point is the summit of Tullu Dimtu at 4,385 m. The scenery ranges from the bare plateau to the dense Harenna Forest in the south. Its best-known resident is the Ethiopian wolf, Africa's rarest canid, with many of the survivors living on this plateau. You drive a road across the Sanetti Plateau among rocks, low grasses, small pools and giant lobelias standing alone. Early morning gives the best chance of seeing wolves hunting rodents, so bring binoculars. Local horses wander at the edges. Do not feed the animals or wander from the road alone. Fog can come suddenly. Its centre is about 31 km in a straight line from Goba and about 400 km south-east of Addis Ababa. Bring warm clothes, as the weather is cold and changeable at this height, and watch for altitude sickness.
Hunting on the plateau at dawn.
Rocks, grasses and pools.
Standing alone on the land.
Bale Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Early morning is best, on the Sanetti Plateau, and binoculars help.
It can be, as most of the park is above 3,000 m, so take your time.