Mago National Park

Mago National Park is located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region about 782 kilometers south of Addis Ababa and north of a large 90° bend in the Omo River. The landscape consists of riverine forest, wetlands along the lower Mago river and around Lake Dipa. Also there are mountainous areas with great views over the bush savanna.

view from mago national park towards lower Omo valley – photo © Mikkel Grabowski

The 2162 square kilometers park lies on the eastern sides of a small branch of the eastern Rift Valley (Omo depression), bordering Omo National Park divided by the Mago River, a tributary of the Omo. To the west is the Tama Wildlife Reserve, with the Tama river defining the boundary between the two.

Wildlife

The wildlife including most of the typical east African fauna and offers one of the wildest and most outstanding wildlife panoramas in Ethiopia.

dik dik antelope in mago national park photo © Mikkel Grabowski

Mago National Park is considered an important habitat for animal populations particularly Buffalo, Giraffe, Elephant (approx. 150), warthog, tiang, lewel’s hartebeests, lesser-kudu, greater-kudu, duiker, Burchell’s Zebra, Swayne’s Hartbeest, Oryx, grant’s gazelle, gerenuk, giraffe, cheetah, wild dog, lions, leopards, guereza, common baboon and vervet monkey are common & conspicuous.

The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa – photo © Mikkel Grabowski

The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa and it is a common sight in Mago National Park – photo © Mikkel Grabowski

In Mago N.P. 237 bird species have been recorded. Of these six are endemics namely Banded Barbet, White-Winged Cliff Chat, White-Tailed Starling, Thick-Billed Raven and Wattled Ibis.

A bee eater in Mago National Park photo © Mikkel Grabowski

A Northern Carmine Bee Eater in Mago National Park photo © Mikkel Grabowski

There are several bustard species in the park and secretary birds in the grass plains.

Until recently, 2003, 462 bird species have been recorded - here a Kori bustard photo © Mikkel Grabowski

A Kori bustard – one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. Photo © Mikkel Grabowski

The riverine forest along the Omo River is important for several different bird groups, including herons and egrets, kingfishers, barbets, chats and thrushes, woodpeckers, pigeons, shrikes, warblers and flycatchers. Also there are guinea fowl, bee eater and lots of different species of eagles.

Guinea fowl in Mago National Park – photo © Mikkel Grabowski

One of the major attractions of thepark is the Hot Springs and areas along the lower Omo (within the park) are populated with a rich diversity of ethnic groups, including the Aari, Male, Banna, Bongoso, Hamar, Kwegu, Karo and Mursi peoples.

Desert Rose flowering tree, Adenium obesum. They can be grown for many years in a pot and are commonly used for bonsai. Photo © Mikkel Grabowski

Mago National Park is on the route from Arba Minch via Jinka to Lower Omo valley and it is a fascinating experience because of its isolated location and very few visitors and it gives a real feeling of how most of Africa was 50 years ago.