CURRENT POPULATION STATUS AND THREATS OF MENELIKBUSHBACK TRAJELAFES SCRIPTESIN BORENA SAYINT NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH WOIIO ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopia have 31 endemic mammals from these, 17 are highland altitude moorland or grassland species whose altitudinal range is confined to above 2000masl. So from those endemic Menelik’s bushbuck is confined to the Borena Sayint National park, highland forests of Bale, Menagesha Suba State Forest and other highland areas.Menelik bushbuck is one of the ungulate mammals that also occurs in the Brenna Sayint National Park. Moreover, Men lick’s bushbuck is relatively dif icult to observe, as it mainly inhabits dense habitat with suf icient cover and adequate forage. The population status of Menelik bushbuck were af ected by habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation7(25%), prey predator in the case of leopard5(18%), climate change3(11%), drought4(14%), road construction4(15%) ,human settlement3(10%)and livestock grazing 2(7%).So those kinds of threats are af ects the population size of Menelik bushbuck (tragelaphes scriptus). The data was used as Knowledge and experience of the local people; park manager and governmental organization for identify the habitat types and to located the sampling sites. Fore used to estimate the total population status of Menelik bushbuck in Borena sayint national park is showed, first to classify the total area of the park into three divisions those are wood lands, grasslands and forest habitat and established transect lines including sighting distance on three habitat and counted the number of Menlik bushbuck each sides of sighting distance by using binoculars. Finally the total population status of Menelik bushbuck in Borena sayint National park is 3171 individuals by using the formula of variable visibility profile methods