Somaliland sun- Though Somalia is home to several species of animals, several years of internal conflict has left wildlife in near extinction in most of the country’s national parks.
A number of national parks were established by various governments during the short lived and now defunct Republic of Somalia which collapsed after its northern region now Somaliland withdrew from a 1960 union.
Below are a few of the most popular national parks still in existence
Daallo Mountain
Daallo Mountain, locally known as Buuraha Daalo and officially known as Golis Range Mountains, is a national park located in the town of Erigavo Sanaag region, Somaliland. The mountains are 400ft above the sea level and located 27 miles east of the white sand beach of Mayd. The beach is known to be a paradise for fish and lobster lovers.
The park is unique place due to its 60-mile long thick forest that is home to more than 3,000 species of trees shrubs and other plants such as the acacia, mooli flowers, aloe vera, and the Buxus forest stand. Some of the oldest trees in Africa are found in the park with some being over 1,000 years.
Several animals are also found in the park. The kudu, warthogs, antelopes and the Somali sheep are some of the herbivorous found in the park. The lion and the leopard are some of the few predators that are found in the park with most of them falling prey to poachers seeking animal parts.
The survival of the of the forest and wildlife is threatened by an increase in population that continue to push their way to the mountains and engage in charcoal burning.
Lag Badana National Park
Lag Badana National Park locally known as Bushbush national park is located on the southern coast of Somalia. The park was the first park to be established in Somalia in the late 1980s, by the Said Bare administration. The ministry of tourism established the park due to the presence of the coral reef on the shore of the Indian Ocean bordering the park.
The protection of the park and its development were halted when the regime was toppled. The park contains over 200 species of plant, 20 of which are endemic to the park. Several animals such as monkeys, hyenas, and foxes are found in the park, birds such as the dik-dik Speke and the obbia lark are also found in the park. In 2014 President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud initiated some development projects including establishing new management of the park and strengthening its’ environmental preservation.
Kismayo National Park
Kismayo is located on the southern coast of Somali. It is famous for being an Al-Shabaab stronghold and is known to have experience fighting between the militia and government forces. In spite of the conflict, Kismayo is home to a national park. Kismayo National Park is home to some of the unique species of wildlife and plants even though most are common to East African countries. The park is 17 miles from Kismayo town and has experienced massive poaching of its animals by poachers. The park is home to the Somali Shee a native of the park. Other animals such as lions, zebras, and wild boars can also be found in the park.
Efforts to manage the park have been fruitless because of the domination by militias
Source: worldatlas
