Ethiopian Herald. The number of bird species in the Abyata-Shala National Park has reportedly shown marked increase while over 10,000 tourists visited the park during the just-ended fiscal year.

Head of the park, Fekadu Tefera, told WIC recently that most of the birds have migrated from European and Asian countries, whereas some have come from African countries.

The head also stated that efforts are being made to keep the birds in the park by fighting illegal settlers. The park administration is working in collaboration with kebele and woreda administrations to control those acts, he added.

According to Fekadu, the number of domestic and foreign tourists has increased to 19, 000 due to the increase in the number of bird species and other factors the park has earned over 300,000 birr this fiscal year .

As the park is the sole ostrich breeding ground in Ethiopia efforts are underway to expand it in line with the increasing demand for ostrich eggs and meat, Fekadu noted.

Currently the park is selling an ostrich egg for eight USD and a chick ostrich for 50, it was learnt.