Planning for Core Wildlife Conservation Area of Gambella National Park

Abstract

The planning for core area for wildlife conservation of the Gambella National Park was initiated to fulfill the knowledge gap for the lack of planning on core wildlife conservation in the previous management plan. The objectives of this research were to determine the abundance, distribution and diversity of key wild animal species of the Park, investigate the migration corridors of White eared kob and the African elephant and develop plan for core wildlife conservation of the Park. The methods used for planning were diversity, abundance, distribution and sensitive habitat types used by key wild animal species and migration routes for migratory species. The GIS version 10.1 was used for analyzing and planning the core conservation areas.Therefore, the Park areas were divided into five zones such as core wildlife conservation area, visitors use zone, low use zone, migration corridors and buffer zone. The results had indicated that, the core wildlife conservation has the highest diversity of wild animal species in the Park. The management objective of this zone is proposed to be aimed at protection and conservation of habitat, so that the resources in the Park remain undisturbed for survival of wild animal in general and endangered species in particular. The visitors use zone serve as dry season refugee areas for large number of White eared kob and also represented more abundance and distribution of key wild animal species next to the core wildlife conservation areas in the Park. The low use zone is part of the Park, where some human impact is expected. The recreation and administrative objective is proposed to be exceeding the protection of nature. The migration corridor is proposed to be managed by transboundary agreement and joint management cooperation which is also supposed to be agreed by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and South Sudan Wildlife Services. The buffer zone is proposed to be managed by the Gambella National Park office based on agreement between the surrounding community and the Park office.

The planning for core area for wildlife conservation of the Gambella National Park was initiated to fulfill the knowledge gap for the lack of planning on core wildlife conservation in the previous management plan. The objectives of this research were to determine the abundance, distribution and diversity of key wild animal species of the Park, investigate the migration corridors of White eared kob and the African elephant and develop plan for core wildlife conservation of the Park. The methods used for planning were diversity, abundance, distribution and sensitive habitat types used by key wild animal species and migration routes for migratory species. The GIS version 10.1 was used for analyzing and planning the core conservation areas.Therefore, the Park areas were divided into five zones such as core wildlife conservation area, visitors use zone, low use zone, migration corridors and buffer zone. The results had indicated that, the core wildlife conservation has the highest diversity of wild animal species in the Park. The management objective of this zone is proposed to be aimed at protection and conservation of habitat, so that the resources in the Park remain undisturbed for survival of wild animal in general and endangered species in particular. The visitors use zone serve as dry season refugee areas for large number of White eared kob and also represented more abundance and distribution of key wild animal species next to the core wildlife conservation areas in the Park. The low use zone is part of the Park, where some human impact is expected. The recreation and administrative objective is proposed to be exceeding the protection of nature. The migration corridor is proposed to be managed by transboundary agreement and joint management cooperation which is also supposed to be agreed by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and South Sudan Wildlife Services. The buffer zone is proposed to be managed by the Gambella National Park office based on agreement between the surrounding community and the Park office.