Travelers mainly come to Yabelo for its namesake wildlife sanctuary, a pristine landscape that is often underrated by travelers coming into Ethiopia.
The red earth of Yabelo Wildlife Sanctuary encompasses more than 24,000 square feet of acacia woodland and Ethiopian savanna. The park was originally created for the Swayne's Hartebeest, a species similar in appearance to a gazelle and antelope. Many other four-legged mammals make their home in Yabelo as well. The thick stripes of Burchell's zebras and the tiny bodies of the dik-dik can commonly be spotted by travelers.
The area has also become increasingly popular in recent years for its birding opportunities. Among its many colorful avian inhabitants, bird-watchers may spot the black and white Stresemann's Bushcrow, the vivid blue-striped Vulturine Guineafowl or the mottled brown-bodied Yellow-necked Spurfowl.
In the town proper, travelers can visit the "Singing Well" of Yabelo. A hand-dug well that reaches more than 90 feet in depth, local men create a ladder line to carry the waters to the surface, all the while singing an ominous, deep-pitted chant.
The songs of men and birds in Yabelo
Posted on Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
