Nechisar National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Ethiopia situated in the scenic part of the rift valley floor between Abaya and Chamo lakes and flanking to Arbaminch town on its Eastern side which is found 445 km and 270km south of Addis Ababa and Hawassa respectively. The park is established in 1974.
The national park is located between the coordinates of 5 051’N to 6050’ N latitude and 37035’ E to 37 048’ E longitude. It’s elevation ranges between 1108m and 1650m above sea level. NNP is bordered in the West by Arbaminch to wn
in the Eastern foot of Ganta Mountain, in the East Amaro Mountains and upper Sermele river valley, in the North and South Abaya and Chamo lakes respectively. The park covers an area of 514km2 of which 85% land and 15% is water body from Abaya and Chamo Lakes. The park office is 2km away from the center of the town.
The name Nech Sar is to mean “white grass” which is derived from two Amharic words “Nech” meaning “white” and “sar” meaning “grass” as the color of the grass which cover the undulating Nechsar plain at the core area of the park during the dry season become dry a yellow-white color.
The national park has diverse habitats, fascinating vegetable dynamics, and water resources starting from forty and hot spring, and continentally known lakes of Chamo and Abaya which are breeding site of aquatic species, are included in it. Surprisingly, the park comprises different natural habitats within a short range of distance and elevation beyond altitudinal based ecosystem classification of Ethiopia, described as plain grassland, savannah mixed wooded grassland complex, shrub lands of volcanic hills and valley, mosaic nature of riverine and semi-deciduous vegetation with respective floristic composition and groundwater forest with dense canopy ground trees as a patch of the tropical rain forest.
The estimated proportion of ecological units in the park comprises aquatic 15%, riverine ground water forest (13%), plain grassland (52.5%), wetlands (1.68%) and mixed wooded shrub land (15.73%) shore of the park.
The national park is a shelter for over 91 small, medium, and large species of mammals, 33 reptiles, 8 amphibians, 16 fishes, 351 species of birds, and 1000 species of vascular plants. The park is known for its beautiful and varied of mammals and avian species.
Mammal species such as Burchell’s Zebra, Grant’s gazelle, Greater Kudu, Laser Kudu, Water Buck, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Baboon, Verve monkey, African Civets Cat, Anubis Baboon, Spotted Hyena, Reedbuck, Black-backed jackal, Klip – springer, Warthog are some of the habitats of the park to mention.
Lake Abaya and Chamo, Gods Bridge, Nechsar plains, Ground Forest, Forty springs, Tsebel hot spring, and Crocodile market are other specific scenic sites in the park.There are different camp sits and view point in the park that eases the visit.
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