Simen Mountain National Park

History

Even though the park was established in 1969, the first time the park was been set up by Girazmach Nadew Wereta Yayu ( He is my great -great uncle -- Endalk Mukate Yayu). Girazmach was born in the Simen Mountains of Ethiopia particularly in a village called Ambaras. He was one of the locals and a ruler in the community and initiated for the establishment of the park. He traveled from Debarq to Addis Abeba to meet Emperor Emperor Haile Selassie to support the establishment of the park.

The park was formally established in 1966 as a wildlife conservation area on the recommendation of UNESCO. Prior to establishment as a park, the area had been managed as a royal hunting grounds since 1944. In 1963 and 1965, UNESCO missions visited Ethiopia and recommended establishment of the park that you see today. Dr. B. Nievergelt of the University of Zurich visited the park in 1968 and carried out an intensive assessment of the area. Under his recommendations, a number of conservation-oriented measures were put into place.

The park was legally recognized in 1969, along with the Awash national park, and remained one of only two national parks legally recognized until 2006. The park was initially managed by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation organization (EWCO). In 1978, the park became one of the first two UNESCO natural world heritage sites. Unfortunately, Civil war broke out and park infrastructure was damage by the civil war, which spanned from 1976-1991. In 1997, park management responsibilities were transferred from EWCO to the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) under government decentralization initiatives. More recently in 1997, Simien Mountains National park began receiving support from the Austrian government. This included projects aimed at improving infrastructure, supporting local communities, and promoting tourism.