9 minute read
Ethiopia Part I By Merle Sampson
from A 2021
by nustobaydo
By Merle Sampson
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My first trip to Ethiopia was in March of 2012 to hunt the mountain nyala and Menelik’s bushbuck. No other animals were available on license. I wasn’t concerned, as I had read about and talked to many people about the difficulty of success for the mountain nyala, and that it could take the full two weeks. On top of that I learned that a hunter was now returning to the US without his mountain nyala after two weeks of a difficult hunt just south of where I would be hunting.
Iarrived in Addis Ababa late in the evening after leaving Minneapolis for Amsterdam the previous afternoon; then a nonstop from there to Addis Ababa. I was met at the airport by Fred Rademeyer, my friend and PH from several other African safaris in East and Southern Africa. We headed into the city which by then was quite quiet, and arrived at the Jerusalem Hotel. After passing through metal detectors, somewhat recently installed because of terror groups operating in Africa, I managed to get some much-needed sleep.
Early the next morning Fred and I were joined by Siszy who was to be our Ethiopian guide and hunter, as well as the local outfitter. After getting into his Land Cruiser, we headed south to the Bale Mountains. Leaving the smog behind we wound our way down from the city’s 8000 feet elevation to the town of Nazareth (notice the connections to Israel), then Assela where we had lunch. From there we left civilization on rutted roads through villages and then to base camp again up at 8500’ above sea level, around 4 p.m. that afternoon.
Early the next day we were greeted by our transport – a group of donkeys along with the required regional and national Game Scouts. Off we went for the fivehour journey, climbing the mountain to the next 11,000’ level where our main camp was located. Along the way, sometimes walking, sometimes riding, we encountered many natives in this country of 90 million people. They were traversing the trails that have been used for over 1000 years, going from village to village. Virtually all the men we encountered were carrying 10’ bamboo spears which we were told was their protection against the many hyenas in the area.
We reached the camp about 1 p.m. and after getting organized headed out to do some glassing for the secretive mountain nyala. We glassed until dark, moving around the top of the crater, and saw one cow. The vegetation was difficult to comprehend the type, color and size. Many plant species existed only in this area of the world.
At daybreak the next morning we heard word from a local native that a fresh bull track had been spotted about 4 p.m. that morning several miles west of us, and it was feeding in an easterly direction towards us. We hurriedly assembled our gear and began the climb from our primitive camp towards the top of the crater. Fred, Siszy and I were lying low behind a rocky outcrop, glassing a 180˚area from west to east. After an hour or so Siszy spotted the ivory tips of his lyreshaped horns behind a group of eurphobiatype cactus. Fred was able to see him as well, but because I was to the left of Fred and Siszy, lying prone, I could only see the cacti, and the distance was about 180 yards. Afraid that if I moved to see him, the bull might detect the motion and head off. He was about 30 yards from the top of the crater, and if he reversed and went over the top we would never see him again.
It became a waiting game. After about 20 minutes of lying motionless, “He’s moving,” said Siszy. I instantly saw this massive animal as he was loping in a quartering direction towards us. Fred said to shoot, but he and Siszy were to my right, I had to get above them to have a safe shot. I was trying to position my rifle and body to turn towards the right, and now the nyala was about 40 yards 90˚ to my right and moving fast. I steadied the gun and fired, and instantly heard the thump of the
Villagers and regional and national game scouts with Merle and Fred at Mt Nyala.
bullet hitting the animal. He stumbled a few yards and then fell dead about 15 feet into a clump of bushes that broke his fall.
Fred and Siszy jumped around hollering congratulations, and I stumbled, falling several times in the rocky, sloping terrain to see my prize. He was massive. Upon further examination we saw that his right front hoof was severely deformed, probably broken many years ago. Siszy said he was very, very old and would probably not have lived through another season. His end as a fine trophy was much better than being too weak to fend off hyenas and subsequently being eaten alive.
We then were able to locate some locals who cut a stout pole and tied the animal to it and took it down the mountainside 700 -800 feet to the crater floor, and the mile-and-a-half back to main camp. The skinners got busy for a full body mount and the labourers were given generous portions of nyama (meat) for their assistance. I have come to learn that word nyama was the universal word for meat throughout southern Africa.
While it was now only 1 p.m. we nevertheless began preparations for leaving camp in the morning to return to the base camp, while the skinners were carefully preparing the trophy for subsequent deposit to the taxidermist in Addis Ababa
After a chilly evening with the temperature dipping to the high 30’s (Fahrenheit) we were up at first light for the return trip down the mountain with our donkeys.
After travelling about an hour and descending to around 10000 feet elevation, Siszy said we should detour off the main path as we were approaching Menelik bushbuck habitat. We had only gone 400 -500 yards when we spotted a female bushbuck who barked at us and ran off. About a half hour later one of the locals saw movement several hundred yards in front of us. Everyone froze, and Fred spotted a fine male Menelik bushbuck feeding away from us. Fred, Siszy and I carefully crawled to within 150 yards, and using a fallen log as a steady rest, took aim and felled the animal with a clean shot. In less than 24 hours I had taken two of Ethiopia’s rare and treasured trophy animals in the Bale Mountains of central Ethiopia. As we were skinning the animal two elderly men in their flowing white - albeit dingy robes appeared out of nowhere and politely asked for some nyama. We graciously gave them some meat and finished prepping the animal for our trip down the mountain. Since the bushbuck weighed only 20% of the nyala (120 pounds vs. 500+), the work was quick.
About mid-afternoon we arrived at the staging camp and once again offloaded the donkeys. We planned to stay there and depart first thing in the morning, as driving in Ethiopia’s rural areas at night is extremely dangerous with people, donkeys, cattle, etc., on and around the narrow potholed roads.
After checking in with the local wildlife officials in Dodoma, we were on our fivehour journey back to Addis Ababa.
Safely back in Addis Ababa, I had a decision to make: Do I head home eight days early, or take some time to explore the wonders of this ancient and historic land. I chose the latter, and Siszy, through a travel agent friend, arranged for me to fly to the ancient city of Axum, in the north, close to the Eritrea border. Axum is famous for several important reasons. First, it is the birthplace of Christianity in Africa in 400
AD. Second, St. Mary’s church with its chapel is reputed to be the resting site of the Arc of the Covenant and Trinity, the home of the Queen of Sheba and her royal palace. Legend has it that several thousand years ago she travelled to Jerusalem, met King Solomon and together brought forth a son, Menelik I, the first emperor of Ethiopia, and also King Solomon sent some Jewish holy men back to Ethiopia with the Queen, and that was the start of the Falasha Jewish Sect in Ethiopia.
Getting on Ethiopian Airlines again, I made the short flight to Lalibela, the city of 12 stone churches, curved from the top down in the 13th century. This work was commissioned by Emperor Lalibela who reportedly hired Knights Templars from England to oversee this engineering marvel. The top of St George’s church has an even cross on it, the symbol for the Knights Templar as well, as opposed to the cross familiar to most Christians. This engagement of the Knights was possible as they were supposedly in the area on their search for the Arc of the Covenant.
From Lalibela I once again flew Ethiopian Airlines, this time to Gondar the ancient city close to the Sudan border. Gondar is Departing base camp for the Bale mountains at 8500’.
famous for its European-style castles which are the only ones in Africa. These were built for the royalty 400 – 500 years ago and were all famous for various historical reasons. Gondar was also the second home for the Emperor and is the site of extensive Christian religious ceremonies every January. While there I also visited an ancient church, the only one still standing of 44 that were destroyed by the Muslim terrorists from Sudan in the 1800s. The story goes that the priests in this church were beekeepers, and when the Muslims tried to attack, the bees were released and drove these attackers away, thus sparing the church.
From Gondar, my next and last city visit was Bahir Dar, place of Lake Tana and the source of the famous Blue Nile River. The lake is also the site of many famous monasteries of which I visited several. The Blue Nile leaves Lake Tana and winds its way west, southwest where it joins the White Nile in Khartoum, Sudan, and from there flows north into and through Egypt.
A short plane ride back to Addis Ababa, and then the reverse route home to Minneapolis via Amsterdam. I was very pleased with a successful hunt and cultural experience, and made a promise to myself to return some day, which would be 2018 – but that is for another story. LookingdownonStGeorge’schurch,LalibelaEthiopia,carvedfromthesurfacedownward in 1200 AD. The cross is the same as that of the Knights Templars who some believe “oversaw” the project for Emperor Lalibela.
Natives carrying nyala meat down the mountain on poles.
Merle and guard with AK 47 outside the chapel at St Mary’s church, Axune, where the Arc of the Covenant is supposedly stored.
