Nechisar National Park

Nechisar National Park is a national park in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. It is in the Great Rift Valley, within the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands.The 514-square-kilometre (127,000-acre) park includes the “Bridge of God”, an isthmus between Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo, and the Nechisar (English: white grass) plains east of the lakes. It is east of Arba Minch.

Park elevations range between 1,108 and 1,650 metres (3,635 and 5,413 ft) above sea level.^[1] Nechisar National Park was established in 1974. Under the management of African Parks Network (APN since 2005, it was reportedly scheduled to hand over management to the Ethiopian government in June 2008

Wildlife in the park include plains zebra, Grant’s gazelle, dik-dik, and the greater kudu as well as one of the last three populations of the endangered Swayne’s hartebeest,African leopard, Lion, African wild dog and HippopotamusA stretch of the northwest shore of Lake Chamo is known as Crocodile Market, where hundreds of crocodiles gather to bask. The park also has populations of bushbuck, bushpig, Anubis baboon, vervet monkeys, and black-backed jackal. The endangered painted hunting dog, Lycaonpictus, once existed in the park (with last sightings at Fincha), but may now be extirpated due to human population pressures in this regionIn 2009, a small group of less than 23 lions were estimated in and around the protected area

Nechisar National Park is considered an important habitat for bird populations particularly those migrating. It has a noted population of kingfishers, storks, pelicans, flamingos and African fish eagles.

Other birds include Falco naumanni and Circus macrourus, which are fairly common on passage. Other species of note include Accipiter ovampensis, Avicedacuculoides, Gypaetusbarbatus, Macheiramphusalcinus, Chelictiniariocourii, Francolinuslevaillantii, Podicasenegalensis, Crithagrareichardi, Schoutedenapusmyoptilus, and Coracinacaesia.