| Yangudi Rassa National Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Soemmerring's gazelle in the park | |
  Location in Ethiopia | |
| Location | Afar Region,Ethiopia |
| Coordinates | 11°0′N40°50′E / 11.000°N 40.833°E /11.000; 40.833 |
| Area | 4,731 km2 (1,827 sq mi) |
| Designation | National park |
| Designated | 1969 |
| Governing body | Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority |
Yangudi Rassa National Park (Amharic:ያንጉዲ ራሳ ብሔራዊ ፓርክ,romanized: yanigudī rasa biḥērawī pariki) is anational park inEthiopia located inAfar Region.
Its 4,731 square kilometres (1,827 sq mi) of territory include Mount Yangudi (1,383 m or 4,537 ft) near the southern boundary and the surrounding Rassa Plains, with altitudes from 400 to 1,459 m (1,312 to 4,787 ft) above sea level.[2] TheAwash River flows through the park from south to north.
The park headquarters are south of the park inGewane. TheAwash-Asseb highway runs north and south through the park.
The park adjoinsMille-Serdo Wildlife Reserve to the north, Awash West Controlled Hunting Area to the west, and Gewane Wildlife Reserve to the south.[1]
Sandy semi-desert and wooded grassland cover the majority of the park's area.[3] Native grasses includeAristida sp.,Chrysopogon plumulosus,Dactyloctenium scindicum,Digitaria sp.,Lasiurus scindicus, andSporobolus ioclados, which provide fodder for wild grazing animals and livestock.[4] There are marshes and riverine forests along the Awash River.[3]
Yangudi Rassa National Park is home to 36 species of mammals and 200 species of birds recorded within the park's biome. It was proposed to protect theSomali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis), a subspecies ofAfrican wild ass. The wild asses graze on grasses and live in small groups. Recently, the wild ass became extinct in Yagundi Rassa. However, there is a small population in the adjacentMille-Serdo Wildlife Reserve (8,766 km2).[4]
Large animals native to the park includegerenuk,Soemmerring's gazelle,Beisa oryx,lion,Grevy's zebra,cheetah, andleopard.[5] Other animals that live within the protected areas includesDorcas Gazelle,Hamadryas Baboon,Bat-eared Fox,Black-backed Jackal,Striped Hyena, andAardwolf.[6]
Bird species of interest includelesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor),pale rockfinch (Carpospiza brachydactyla) andArabian bustard (Ardeotis arabs).[3]Lesser Kestrel andPallid Harrier are only known Somali-Masai Biome species in the park that considered globally threatened. Other bird species that roam consist of theTerek Sandpiper,Somali ostrich,Common Sandpiper,Common Redshank,Woodchat Shrike,Lesser Grey Shrike,Eurasian blackcap, andOrtolan Bunting.[7]
The park was designated in 1969 by the Ethiopian Government. The park was not formally gazetted, and for decades theEthiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) lacked sufficient funding and staffing to effectively manage the park.[4]
The local people areAfarpastoralists, who graze livestock inside and adjacent to the park.[4]