The Marvelously Growing Swayne’s Hartebeest Population Ethiopia is endowed with several natural resources, one of the most important being our endemic wildlife, a factor that will certainly be one of the decisive ones to boost development. Neighboring Kenya has used these endowments cleverly and is among the most successful nations in maintaining the overflow of the income from the industry, commonly known as the smokeless industry. For instance, looking at the country’s wildlife, innumerable resources are harbored there without proper use and effective conservation. According to several pieces written on the failure of the country’s wildlife preservation, the main threats to the country’s wildlife include improper land use, which includes habitat destruction due to illegal agricultural encroachment, rapid population growth, illegal settlement and poaching. The salubrious mountains and the grassland will make anyone drool over this intrinsic natural beauty. The Sinkle hartebeest sanctuary is one of the most fascinating wildlife centers in the country. Located on the outskirts of the town of Shashemene, some 249 km south of the capital, it is best known for its hartebeests. Following the dramatic drop in the number of these endemic mammals, due to illegal hunting and poor conservation, the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority has been doing a commendable job of coordinating with the local community to maintain the expectancy of the sanctuary and its resources. The Ethiopian hartebeest is also known as the Swayne’s hartebeest, after Brigadier-General Swayne, the Englishman who supposedly discovered this species. According to history, he was the first European to visit the area, while on military duty in the east of the country and Somalia in the late nineteenth century. The Swayne’s hartebeest belongs to Acelaphus buselaphus species. During the military rule, their number was about 3500. However, due to the failure of authorities to come up with a remedy, local people used to hunt them for food. In the aftermath of the downfall of the regime, the local community continued hunting them and  killed almost all of them. A few years ago, their number was estimated to be around 50. Today, they are estimated to be at about 800, which this is the result of exemplary partnership with the local community and further steps taken by the authority to restore the sanctuary. Wondifraw Nega, head of the sanctuary told The Reporter that the current situation is going well and that the endemic mammal will get a chance to reproduce much better than ever before. “The staff is organized and dedicated. Apart from that, the most important thing is the willingness of the people residing around the sanctuary to stop hunting the mammal,” he said. Sheik Kabeto Edema, the present tribal leader of the area, who is the Aba Gadda, (ruler of the traditional system of governance of Oromo) said that he was in charge of the people and had to work hard to stop the hunting of such a pride that represents the locality. “We incorporated a strident law that states that the Swayne’s hartebeest is a member of the tribe under the new name-- Hanbentu, therefore, poaching will cost one hundred cattle as reparation and consequently, the hunter will be obliged to leave the village because the mammal is now a full unregistered member of the tribe, just as anyone else,” he said. Ashagre Gemeda is one of the scouts who patrol the sanctuary round the clock. He has been there for twelve years. He, however, indicates that the job is such a hard one that anybody would refrain to take it up as it demands a day and night presence in the jungle both in hot and cold weather. “… but whatever goes in my mind about the job it has once become my way of satisfaction,” he says. Because the area has a considerably large plot of 57km square, the grass that is used as a source of food and water for the hartebeests is also used as a source of income for the local people as they cut it and sell it out in the market to share the total sum through the associations. Moreover, they use it for making the outermost roof of their huts. Shashitu, a village resident, told The Reporter that she herself and many of the local women have recognized the use of the sanctuary by getting more benefit out of the service. The vehicles available in the compound are doing the most important job transporting the women to the clinic in times of need. The government has already attached due attention to formulate a wildlife development and protection strategy in tune with the international principle, nevertheless, many point out that there is still work to be done. Restoring the parks and the sanctuary along with the protection and reproduction of those on the verge of extinction, like this success story of keeping alive the hartebeests, will always be something great but never good-enough, unless it takes after its neighboring tourism management and development, they conclude.