1,289 visit Semien Mountains Park this year

Gondar, August 3 (WIC)--- The Semien Mountains National Park has earned a quarter of a million birr during the ended fiscal year, a representative of the park administration disclosed.

Ato Deribie Deksios, the representative, said the 1,289 visitors, including 85 Ethiopians, have visited the park.  Among the foreign visitors were four film crews from the British Broadcasting Corporations and from Japan.

Meanwhile, the park official said conditions at the park have improved substantially, resulting in the increase of the Walia Ibex population, which is endemic to Ethiopia, and found only in the Park.  Their number has more than tripled to 550 over the past eight years, he said.

The Semien Mountains National Park is sanctuary to a variety of mammals and birds, including the Menilik Dekula and the Ankober Serini, whose existence in the park was confirmed just this year.