(GWF=Ground-water Forest, RF=Riverine Forest, BL=Bushland and GL=Grassland)

The relative abundance of mammalian species in the groundwater forest habitat was varied between 0-50.73% and 0–46.61% during the wet and dry season, respectively. In the riverine forest habitat, it was between 0–52.63% and between 0-51.87% in the wet and dry season, respectively. For the bushland habitat it was between 1.19–37.75% and 0.31-42.94% in the wet and dry season, respectively. While in the grassland habitat, the relative abundance was between 0-54.58 % and 0-57.83 percent during the wet and dry season, respectively (Table 3).

According to the responses of the discussants and observation in the study area, the following four major and most pronounced conservation challenges of the park were identified during the study period.

Currently, Guji (denoted ‘Ganda Irgansa’) Oromo people are transforming from a pastoralist way of subsistence to the establishment of permanent settlement, particularly they reside in two main villages (Kebeles) (Oddu Darba and Irgaansa/Ganda Kebele). The Oddu Darba Kebele is found out of the traditional park boundary (15 km to the northeast), while the Irgaansa/Ganda Irgansa Kebele is completely inhabiting inside the park (Figure 6). Based on the direct observation, interview, and focus group discussions carried out, this research argues that the need of establishing a strong settlement on an agricultural base is the latest occurrence.