Chebera Churchura National Park is located in Konta Woreda, Dawro Zone. It is 480 km south of Addis on the Addis–Jimma-Chida-Ameya road. It has a total area of 11,900 ha and elevations range from 500-2000m asl. This park used to be part of the Kulo Konta Controlled Hunting Area specifically set to hunt Elephants. The decline of Elephants in Africa and the need to conserve a representative area where this species could be protected in Ethiopia is a leading objective for its establishment. This park is one of the relatively untouched, recently discovered and rich wilderness areas but the list visited and known park in the country.
The park comprises unique and attractive mountain closed forest, closed tall-grassed savannah habitat, thick woodland forest. The landscape very fascinating highly rugged, undulating to rolling plains there a number of hilly & mountainous land which the whole year covered by vegetation’s. A number of cold & hot springs, historical caves, the Meka Forest (which is always with African Elephants). The park is the best site to see the African Elephants, and Buffalo.
What to see and do
Flora of Chebera Churchura
The park contains four types of habitat. This include grasslands, wood lands, mountain forest and riverine forests. Most of the park which is covered by 62% is wooded grassland dominated by elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), with mountain woodland comprising 29% along with woodland and riparian forest the rest. Palm trees are significantly diverse within the park’s ecoregion. Dominant woody vegetation includes Ficus, Combretum, Ehertia, and Albizia species. The natural forest harbors non-timber forest products known for economic value such as Enset, Coffee, Coriander, and Piper species. So far 106 woody plant species were identified of which six are endemic to Ethiopia.
Fauna of Chebera Churchura
The park is home to 37 species of large mammals. It provides home to wild African Elephant that are commonly rare within the protected forest areas and open grasslands, by which the park harbors over 500 individuals moving in different herds. Mammals that are also found in Chebera Churchura national park include Lions, Leopards, Servals, Greater kudus, colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys, hippos, Defassa waterbucks, warthogs, and Cape buffalos.
Avifauna of Chebera Churchura
There are 237 species of birds in the park. Among these species of birds, White-winged cliff chat, Banded barbet, Wattled ibis, Ethiopian oriole, and Thick-billed raven are endemic to Ethiopia.
