Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary

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Senkele Tours

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Expert

Ariadne van Zandbergen –

Visited: Multiple times

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

A safe haven for the endemic Swayne’s hartebeest

Overall rating

3/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

This sanctuary was set up to help protect the Swayne’s hartebeest, an endangered antelope endemic to a handful of locations in southern Ethiopia. Today, there is thought to be a healthy population of about 500 hartebeest in the park’s relatively small area and you’ll see lots of them from the short road circuit. The open grassland is also a preferred habitat for the oribi, a smallish antelope usually found in pairs. Other wildlife is less easily seen but includes waterbuck, greater kudu and jackal. If you’re keen to walk, your guide will take you cross-country to try and get close to some of the herds, which tend to keep their distance. As is the case everywhere in the country, there are lots of birds around, including some colorful endemics. There is no accommodation or even a campsite in Senkele – day visits tend to be most rewarding in the late afternoon through to sunset.

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