Simien National Park, World Heritage Site in Ethiopia

Simien National Park, located on the plateau in northern Ethiopia, is called the “Ceiling of Africa” and is a series of deep valleys and rocky mountains, including the 4620-meter-high Ras Dashen Mountain. Many precious animals can be seen here, including the Gelada baboon and Simien fox, as well as animals that are “witnesses to the history of the earth,” such as the Walia ibex.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Simien National Park is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about Simien National Park!

What is Simien National Park?

Simien National Park is a vast 220-square-kilometer park in Amhara Region, northern Ethiopia.Millions of years of erosion have carved the land into a spectacular landscape of sharp rocky peaks, deep valleys, and 1500-meter-high cliffs. The area includes some of the highest peaks in Ethiopia, such as Mount Ras Dashen (4,620 meters above sea level), the fourth highest mountain in Africa, and was placed on the Critically Endangered Heritage List in 1996 due to planned road construction and poaching, but was removed in 2007 due to government efforts.

The park protects animals and birds that are unique to the area, such as the wild Gelada baboon and the Abyssinian jackal.

Walia ibex

The ibex is a species of ibex that lives in the Alps and other parts of Europe.Ibex is a genus of goats and is distributed throughout the world.It is believed that this Wallia ibex was introduced during the period when Europe and Africa were once connected.

Gerada baboon

Gerada baboon of the family Cercopithecidae. A member of the baboon family found only in Ethiopia and Eritrea, it is characterized by a red spot on its chest. Its lion-like mane can be seen, and the animal is considered to be a messenger of Jesus Christ by the locals.

Abyssinian jackal

A member of the genus Canis, found only in Ethiopia. They are mainly found in marshlands, but their numbers have been drastically decreasing over the years due to habitat shrinkage caused by development and plague, and they are now listed as an endangered species.

For what reason is Simien National Park on the World Heritage List?

Simien National Park was recognized for the following

Registration Criteria (vii)
The undulating plateaus created by the erosion of the earth are as spectacular as the Grand Canyon in the United States.

Registration Criteria (x)
The park is home to more than 20 species of large mammals and 130 species of birds, and that it is also home to many endangered species, such as the Abyssinian jackal.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Impressions

The first point is that Simien National Park is one of the best places on earth with spectacular views of rocky mountains and valleys caused by erosion. Another point is that it is also home to very rare species of animals such as the Walia ibex and the Gelada baboon, as well as endangered species such as the Abyssinian jackal.

Incidentally, the spots on the chest of the gerada baboon resemble the color of the female’s genitalia. Too beautiful spots are said to produce a coloring like “big tits” in humans, which excites males.

*The contents here are considerations derived through research by World Heritage enthusiasts.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the medium.