Chebera-Churchura National Park

Elephant’s in Ethiopia’s jungle

Elephants? In Ethiopia? I’d been to Ethiopia many times and seen most of the endemic wildlife for which the country is known, but I’d never heard you could see elephants here. So, I was skeptical when I was taken to the remote, totally off-the-beaten-track jungle of Chebera-Chuchura National Park. When I got to the entrance, I was pleasantly surprised to find I had the whole park to myself. There are no facilities but there is a beautiful camping spot next to a stream. This was as far as I could drive. There are virtually no roads in the park itself, so all wildlife viewing is done on foot. The next morning, I set out with my local guide to track the elusive elephants. These are not the relaxed gentle giants you’ll encounter in the popular parks of Kenya or South Africa. The elephants of Chebera-Chuchura have vivid memories of being hunted, and the survivors are skilled at avoiding humans. The guide and I tiptoed through dense forest undergrowth, trying to avoid snapping twigs, and stopping regularly to listen for elephant activity. After several hours playing cat-and-mouse, I finally caught a glimpse of three elephants hurtling across a clearing – not the greatest sighting perhaps, but boy, was it exciting!