Ethiopian Wildlife - The challenges we are facing in trying to improve management

For anyone who questions why we are so passionate about Ethiopian conservation, have a look at this.

This is not new but it does give you a picture of the challenges facing Ethiopian conservation.  Things are getting a great deal better.  Government engagement has improved, park management (in some, if not all, the parks) has become much better and  the understanding of the value of wildlife and the National Parks, particularly as a foreign revenue earner, is improving.  We form a small part of the improvement and we are actively engaged in trying to spread the message.

There is quite a bit on Bale Mountains National Park in this short video.  It was filmed well before our time but the park has changed little and it is just a pity that they seemed to have filmed during the wet season.

Hey ho, cant have everything I suppose.  Guy

Yvonne In Her Alunii Magazine

Yvonne featured in her Alumnii Magazine, Venta.

For those of you following us, here is a quick link to Yvonne's University Magazine which features BML on pages 10 & 11.

Some superb photos of Ethiopian wildlife, and Bale, by a recent guest, Claire Deacon

Claire was a guest at the lodge recently and has taken some fabulous shots of wildlife.  She has kindly permitted us to link to her Flikr site through the blog.  Thanks Claire.  Guy

We Are Africa Conservation Awards

Click on this link to see our shortlisting for the WAA Conservation Awards

Having written new 'state of the art' conservation documents for the Ethiopian Government we feel that we have already had an impact upon Ethiopian thinking and planning with regards to environmental protection and conservation.

Small Mention on the BBC - Courtesy of our friend and colleague Nick Crane

Excellent interview with Nick Crane of Simien Lodge

Click on the link to read about how we are not the only ones pushing tourism here in Ethiopia.  Nick is another Brit who is about 6 years ahead of us in the other major National Park in Ethiopia, the Simien Mountains National Park.  He is passionate about Ethiopian Tourism and has been instrumental in much of the recent rise in tourist numbers on the back of which Ethiopia is greatly benefiting.  I am deeply involved with this debate here in Ethiopia and we get a very small mention under the same subject and as part of the broad question of 'why is it British Entrepreneurs who are making the running and not the Ethiopian Government?'.

Brian Cornelson's experience at Bale Mountain Lodge

Click here to see Brian's Blog about Bale

Brian was a guest with us over the weekend of the 10th to the 13th of April and has written about his experience in his own blog. His account gives you a real feel for where we stand at the moment in our first year of operations.  As an aside, picking up on his comments, we are working on improving the park ticket experience, even if this is a little out of our hands, and the Park Warden is on side.  Similarly we are trying to make the Dinsho Guides Association understand that forcing guides on tourists is counter productive in the long run.  A long, slow education process but we shall succeed eventually.

SOLOMON'S GOAT - LIFE IN AFRICA

This was a photo taken before a journey Yvonne made from Bale to Addis Ababa last week.  The goat was a present from our Chef, Solomon, to his wife for Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) and resulted in the goat peeing and pooping all over the bags in the back of the car.  Yvonne said we should employ the goat as it also managed to carefully unzip a couple of bags and to eat Avocados for a starter followed by sweet biscuits for its pudding - quite a bright goat.  Guy