South Africa-based conservation organization African Parks has secured a long-term agreement to manage Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park, the nation’s largest protected area covering 4,575 square kilometers near the South Sudan border. This region is home to diverse wildlife, including Ethiopia’s largest population of savanna elephants, Nubian giraffes, and the endangered Nile lechwe antelope.
The agreement signals African Parks’ return to Ethiopia after nearly two decades, following its earlier withdrawal from two national parks. A year-long transition period will enable the organization to assess the sociopolitical environment, build local partnerships, and devise infrastructure and tourism strategies tailored to the area.
Gambella lies within a broader ecosystem shared with South Sudan’s Boma and Badingilo National Parks, also managed by African Parks. The area hosts a remarkable migration of six million antelopes annually, making it the largest of its kind in Africa.
Challenges include conflict between local communities, wildlife poaching, and encroachment by agricultural investors, which previously reduced the park’s size. Despite these obstacles, Gambella’s regional government views this partnership as a step toward conservation and economic opportunities for surrounding communities.
With this addition, African Parks now oversees over 200,000 square kilometers of protected areas across 13 countries and aims to manage 30 parks by 2030.