park such as Olive baboons, guerezas, grivets, and hamadryas baboons are abundantly common throughout the park's ecosystems. Animals such as elephants, rhinos, zebras, Swayne's hartebeests, and Cape buffalo were once presented since the 1960s but were now extirpated because of hunting, population decline, and habitat loss. Nile crocodiles are found in Awash river valleys and gorges while Rock pythons are found in riverine forests and hot spring oases. Leopard tortoises are rarely seen on savanna grassland and dry thickets for feeding, which is the only tortoise species listed here. Venomous snakes, such as Saw-scaled viper (Echis Carinatus Pyramidum), Puff adder (Bitis Arietans Somalica), Rhombic night-adder (Causus Rhombeatus), Black mamba (Dendroaspis Polylepis Antinori), Eastern pallid spitting cobra (Naja Mossambica Pallida), and Black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis), are frequently found within the park ecosystems that are considered dangerous for encountering them. Other reptile species such as geckos, skinks, agamas, snakes, and monitors are frequently diverse in arid scrublands and riverine wetlands. Avifauna The park also contains 453 species of native birds which includes Somali ostriches, Lappet-faced vultures, White-bellied go-away-birds, Crested francolins, White-headed buffalo weavers, Chestnut-headed sparrow-larks, Northern carmine bee-eaters, Kori bustards, Abyssinian rollers, Abyssinian ground hornbills, Red-billed hornbill, and Brown snake-eagles. Wattled Ibis (Bostrychia Carunculata), Black-winged lovebird (Agapornis Taranta), Banded barbet (Lybiusun Datus), Yellow-throated seedeater (Crithagra Flavigula), Abyssinian woodpecker (Dendropicos Abyssinicus), White-billed starling (Onychognathus Albirostris), and Thick-billed raven (Corvus Crassirostris) are 7 endemic species that are compromised within the park's biodiversity. See also Oromia Region Notes References Philip Briggs. 2002. Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide, 3rd edition (Chalfont St Peters: Bradt), pp. 335f C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Ken Preston-Mafham. 2020. Wild Ethiopia – Awash National Park External links Former official site Description of the National Park and its animals National parks of Ethiopia Protected areas of Afar Region Awash River Protected areas established in 1966 1966 establishments in Ethiopia Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets Protected areas of Oromia Region Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia