Bale Mountains National Park (BNP) - Bale is one of the two mountain national parks established in Ethiopia. It is found in the southeastern massive of the Ethiopian plateau with altitudinal ranges between 1,500 and 4,377 m a.s.l. The Park has an area of 2,471 km2 and composed of the extensive afroalpine woodland on the Sanetti plateau. It extends as far as the Harena forest in the southern slopes of the mountain.

The Park was established in 1969 mainly to protect the endemic wild animal species such as Mountain nyala, Ethiopian wolf, subspecies Menillek's bushbuck and other small endemic mammals and amphibians. In general, among the 67 mammal species recorded so far about 17 are Ethiopia’s montane endemics. The Park area is also significant as a flyway and over wintering ground for large numbers of migrant birds from Europe, Asia and other parts of Africa. The Harenna Forest, the many small afroalpine lakes on the Saneti Plateau and the high density of rodents on the plateau are important areas for water birds to watch by tourists. Of the total 262 species of birds in the park, 10 and 6 are endemic and near endemic, respectivel