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| Kundudo | |
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| Elevation | 3,000 metres |
| Location | Ethiopia |
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Kundudo or Kondudo (rarely spelt as Qundudo) is a flat top mountain (or amba) located in the Misraq (eastern) Hararghe Zone of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the eight mile range that bears its name, its summit lies east of the walled city of Harar, with a height of almost exactly 3,000 metres.
In the same range, the Goba tarara (a term for mountain) holds a number of caves populated by bats, whilst at the southern end the Stinico tarara has a cave with ancient engravings.
Below Kondudo lie the localities of Fugnan Bira (also named Gursum), Ejersa Goro, Yaya Guda and Fugnan Hujuba. Nearby is also a shrine named by the locals after Sheikh Adem Goba.
The summit area is a flat grassland thirteen hectares in width, and is the habitation of the only remaining feral horse population of East Africa. The pack is less than ten strong and is threatened by extinction. A local peasant has been trying to tame them; livestock has been found grazing the top of the amba.
Emperor Haile Selassie I obtained his first mount from the Kundudo pack 107 years ago. This makes them the oldest known feral horse population in Africa.1.
The pack has been the focus of a 2008 Italian ecologic mission to try and save it and offer locals economic alternatives to the peculiar area's destruction. Prof.Viganò, mission head, has been given a charge to attempt a rapid intervention from the Ethiopian Environment Protection Agency. The Addis Ababa office of the UNEP is monitoring his attempt.2
A second mission in March 2008 has 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 are reported as 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 programme that stems from the research. A series of related activities are being created to save the pack and promote the area as the end point of a touristic route named "the Extended East Route" to include Harar, the Awash National Park, the Kuni-Muktar Mountain Nyala Sanctuary and some other destinations of cultural, naturalistic and historic interest in the East of Ethiopia. 3
References
- ^ Leonard Moseley, Haile Selassie (London: Weidenfell and Nicholson, 1964)
- ^ "Wild horses exist in Ethiopia, but face danger of extinction: Exploratory Team". The Ethiopian News Agency. Retrieved on 2008-01-21.
- ^ "Press release". www.gursum.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
