BABILE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY MANAGEMENT PLAN December, 2010 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Wildlife for Sustainable Authority (EWCA) Development (WSD) Citation - EWCA and WSD (2010) Management Plan of Babile Elephant Sanctuary. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 216pp. Acronyms AfESG - African Elephant Specialist Group BCZ - Biodiversity Conservation Zone BES - Babile Elephant Sanctuary BPR - Business Processes Reengineering CBD - Convention on Biological Diversity CBEM - Community Based Ecological Monitoring CBOs - Community Based Organizations CHA - Controlled Hunting Area CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CMS - Convention on Migratory Species CSA - Central Statistics Agency CSE - Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia CUZ - Community Use Zone DAs - Development Agents DSE - German Foundation for International Development EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EPA - Environmental Protection Authority EWA - Ethiopian Wildlife Association EWCA - Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority EWCO - Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization EWNHS - Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society FfE - Forum for Environment GDP - Gross Domestic Product GIS - Geographic Information System ii GPS - Global Positioning System HEC – Human-Elephant Conflict HQ - Headquarters HWC - Human-Wildlife Conflict IBC - Institute of Biodiversity Conservation IRUZ - Integrated Resource Use Zone IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources KEAs - Key Ecological Targets m asl - Meter Above Sea Level MIKE - Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants MoU - Minutes of Understanding MP - Management Plan NGO- Non-Governmental Organization NP - National Park PAs - Protected Areas PLC - Private Limited Company SO - Strategic Objectives SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa SSC - Species Survival Commission UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization USAID - The United States Agency for International Development USFWS - US Fish and Wildlife Service WCI - Wildlife Conservation International WSD - Wildlife for Sustainable Development WWF - World Wildlife Fund for Nature iii Table of Contents Page Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. vii List of Appendices .......................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... ix 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 2 Objectives of the Management Plan ........................................................................ 4 3 Limitations of the Management Plan ...................................................................... 5 4 Background ............................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Physical and Biological Resources ................................................................... 6 4.1.1 Location and topography .............................................................................. 6 4.1.2 History of establishment ............................................................................. 10 4.1.3 Geology and soils ........................................................................................ 13 4.1.4 Water resources ........................................................................................... 15 4.1.5 Climate ........................................................................................................ 16 4.1.6 Wildlife resources ....................................................................................... 19 4.2 Socioeconomic Characteristics and Land-use Patterns .................................. 23 4.2.1 Demography ................................................................................................ 24 4.2.2 Settlements .................................................................................................. 24 4.2.3 Land use patterns ........................................................................................ 26 4.3 Policy and Legal Framework .......................................................................... 28 4.3.1. Institutional setup ........................................................................................ 29 4.3.2. Legislations ................................................................................................. 30 4.4. The African Elephant in BES ......................................................................... 32 4.4.1. Elephant distribution and movement in BES .............................................. 34 4.4.2. Elephant habitat assessment ........................................................................ 38 4.4.3. Elephant population estimate and its trend ................................................. 39 4.4.4. Population demography .............................................................................. 40 4.4.5. Phylogenetic status of Elephant population ................................................ 41 4.5. Human-Wildlife Conflict at BES ................................................................... 42 iv 4.5.1. Definition of the concept ............................................................................ 42 4.5.2. History and causes ...................................................................................... 43 4.5.3. Extent and trend of HEC ............................................................................. 46 5 Values and Significance of BES ............................................................................. 50 5.1. Values ............................................................................................................. 50 5.2. Significance of BES........................................................................................ 52 6 Opportunities, Constraints and Threats ............................................................... 54 6.1. Opportunities .................................................................................................. 54 6.2. Constraints ...................................................................................................... 56 6.3. Threats ............................................................................................................ 60 7 Vision, Mission, Operating Principles and Management Goals ......................... 76 7.1. Vision of BES ................................................................................................. 76 7.2. Mission of BES ............................................................................................... 76 7.3. Operating/Guiding Principles and Attributes of BES..................................... 76 7.4. Attributes of BES............................................................................................ 78 7.5. Goal of BES .................................................................................................... 79 8 Wildlife Management and Development Recommendations .............................. 81 8.1 Major management priorities.......................................................................... 81 8.2 Wildlife Management Recommendations ...................................................... 81 8.2.1 Upgrading the sanctuary ............................................................................. 81 8.2.2 Boundary modification ............................................................................... 83 8.2.3 Management zones...................................................................................... 84 8.2.4 Naming of the Proposed NP ....................................................................... 89 8.2.5 Gazettement of the Proposed NP ................................................................ 89 8.2.6 Administration ............................................................................................ 90 8.2.7 Institutional framework ............................................................................... 91 8.2.8 Capacity building/Human resource............................................................. 91 8.2.9 Solving the security problems ..................................................................... 92 8.2.10 Research and monitoring ............................................................................ 92 8.2.11 Eradicate/control of invasive species .......................................................... 93 8.2.12 Rehabilitate wildlife habitats ...................................................................... 93 8.2.13 Awareness creation and conservation education ........................................ 94 8.2.14 Resolution of Human-Wildlife Conflict ..................................................... 95 8.2.15 Eco-tourism development ........................................................................... 96 8.2.16 Infrastructure