Kundudo
Kundudo | |
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,965 m (9,728 ft) |
Coordinates | 9°26′N 42°20′E / 9.433°N 42.333°E |
Geography | |
Location | Oromia Region, Ethiopia |
Kundudo (also spelt as Kondudo or Qundudo) is a flat-top mountain (or , with a height of nearly 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
In the same range, the Goba mountain holds a vast cave known since the 1900s, whilst at the southern end the Stinico mountain holds ancient engravings, unknown until 2008, in two recently studied small open caves. The summit is a flat grassland 13 hectares (32 acres) in area, and is the habitat of the only remaining feral horse population of East Africa, one of only two on the continent.
Below Kondudo lie the localities of
Human history
This mountain was mentioned by the British explorer
On February 13–14, 2009, a group of six Italian and French speleologists explored a newly found cave of international interest. The cave is classified amongst the best five on the continent and is the only one in Ethiopia to contain a full variety of active speleothem kinds, or significant cave rock formations.[2] The Kundudo limestone layers have been indicated by Prof. Viganó to contain more similar caves and vast fossil fields. As a consequence of these discoveries, the whole area is being proposed for the constitution of an Oromia State Park.[3] [4]
Feral horses
The
Emperor
The herd has been the focus since 2008 of six Italian and Italo-British ecologic missions to try and save it and offer locals economic alternatives to the peculiar area's destruction. Prof. Viganò, the mission's head, has been given a charge to attempt a rapid intervention from the Ethiopian Environment Protection Agency, later by the Oromia Tourism Commissioner. The Addis Ababa office of the
A second mission in March 2008 revealed the whereabouts of the captive horses and found rock paintings in a cave in the mountain complex, giving rise to hopes of future tourism development in the area.
Seven horses were reported as then freed and presently on the amba's top by the Addis Ababa-based GAG, a local interest group for the preservation of the Kundudo range and promote the Gursum area.
A major Italian aid organization is preparing a medium size aid program that stems from the research. A series of related activities are being created to save the herd and promote the area as the end point of a tourist route named "the Extended East Route" to include Harar, the
Gallery
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Rare eccentrics in the Kundudo newly fond cave
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Coral-like rock formations
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Multi-coloured formations
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40 cm diameter ammonite on a Kundudo fossil field
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Immis, a four jump, 250m total height waterfall off the Kundudo North Face
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A feral horse
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Karren, or eroded rocks, a symptom of significant caves
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The North Face
References
- ^ Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa, 1856; edited with additional material by Gordon Waterfield (New York: Praeger, 1966), pp. 168f
- ^ [1] a photo gallery
- ^ [2] a concept paper on the proposed Park
- ^ "Press release". www.gursum.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
- ^ Leonard Moseley, Haile Selassie (London: Weidenfell and Nicholson, 1964)
- ^ "Wild horses exist in Ethiopia, but face the danger of extinction: Exploratory Team". The Ethiopian News Agency. Archived from the original on 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2008-01-21.