Wildlife conservation experts in Ethiopian are rooting for public involvement in conservation of national parks in the country to protect them from dangers such as bush burning.
They says the public should be aware that any danger in natural resources also affects community’s life directly. Therefore, every stakeholder should protect and conserve the wildlife, wildlife conservation experts inist.
Forest fires have inflicted heavy losses not only in the parks and wild animals animals, but also in the communities at large according to Hailu Atinafu, Forest Genetics Researcher at Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute.
“Creating awareness among community members is crucial as the communities are the beneficiaries when the parks are protected well and victims when they are damaged,’’ Atinafu told Ethiopian News Agency.
Forest fires have repeatedly happened in Ethiopian parks. For instance, recent fire incidents in Bale Park and Siemen Mountain National Park affected the biodiversity of the parks.
Though fire accidents can happen in many parks, more than 90 percent of fire outbreak cases in the protected forests are caused by humans.
Ethiopia, by its large animal and plants resources, comes next to Tanzania and Uganda in Africa.
