Simien Mountains National Park

The 179 km ² Sämen National Park is located in the north of Ethiopia. Its name derives from the Amharic word sämen ( ሰሜን ) "North " her. He is above all the impressive mountain landscape because known. The park covers altitudes from 1900 to over 4500 meters above sea level. M. With 4533 meters is the highest mountain in the Ras Daschän Ethiopia and seventh-highest in Africa. The park was established among other things to protect various endangered species. These include the Ethiopian Capricorn, the Ethiopian wolf and the Gelada (or Blutbrustpavian ).

The 1959 designated National Park was added to the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 1978. Since 1996 he is on the red list of endangered world heritage since the extremely small population of Ethiopian Capricorn continued to decline and more and more people settled in the territory of the park. The National Park Authority assured that this trend is now reversed and it is working in particular on a strategy for an alternative acquisition of livelihood for the local population.