The Sanetti Plateau, above 4,000 metres, is the Ethiopian wolf's stronghold. This is the rarest canid on Earth, and Bale holds over half the global population — a slender, rufous, fox-like animal that hunts giant molerats in open Afroalpine moorland. Sightings here are close to reliable, which is remarkable for a species numbering in the hundreds worldwide.

The Web Valley, at slightly lower altitude, is the other wolf area and is generally better for watching pack behaviour and, in the October to February breeding season, pups around dens.

The Gaysay grasslands near the park headquarters hold mountain nyala — a large endemic antelope found only in this corner of Ethiopia — along with Menelik's bushbuck, warthog and the raptors that quarter the slopes.

The Harenna forest, on the southern escarpment, is a moss-draped cloud forest with lion and leopard present but rarely seen, plus bamboo forest, Bale monkeys and outstanding forest birding.

The endemic bird list is a draw in itself: blue-winged goose, spot-breasted lapwing, Rouget's rail and wattled ibis are all Ethiopian endemics found readily here.

The dry seasons of November to February and June to September give the best access. Nights on the plateau are genuinely cold.

Practicalities

Dinsho is the park headquarters, around a day's drive from Addis Ababa, with Goba the usual base for the plateau. Altitude matters — the plateau road tops 4,000 metres and altitude sickness is a real risk if you ascend straight from Addis.

Worth knowing: the wolf population has been hit repeatedly by rabies and canine distemper from domestic dogs, and vaccination campaigns run by the local conservation programme are the reason the species still exists. Do not approach dens.