Yangudi Rassa National Park
Yangudi Rassa National Park () is a national park in Ethiopia located in Afar Region. Geography. Its 4731 square kilometers of territory include Mount Yangudi (1383 m) near the southern boundary and the surrounding Rassa Plains, with altitudes from 400 to 1459 meters above sea level. The Awash River flows through the park from south to north. The park headquarters are south of the park in Gewane. The Awash-Asseb highway runs north and south through the park. The park adjoins Mille-Serdo Wildlife Reserve to the north, Awash West Controlled Hunting Area to the west, and  Gewane Wildlife Reserve to the south. Flora. Sandy semi-desert and wooded grassland cover the majority of the park's area. Native grasses include "Aristida" sp., "Chrysopogon plumulosus, Dactyloctenium scindicum, Digitaria" sp., "Lasiurus scindicus", and "Sporobolus ioclados", which provide fodder for wild grazing animals and livestock. There are marshes and riverine forests along the Awash River. Fauna. This park was proposed to protect the Somali wild ass ("Equus africanus somaliensis"), a subspecies of African wild ass. The wild asses graze on grasses, and live in small groups. Recently, the wild ass became extinct in Yagundi Rassa. However, there is a  small population in the adjacent Mille-Serdo Wildlife Reserve (8,766 km). Large animals native to the park include gerenuk, Soemmerring's gazelle, East African oryx, lion, Grevy's zebra, cheetah and leopard. Bird species of interest include lesser flamingo ("Phoeniconaias minor"), pale rockfinch ("Carpospiza brachydactyla") and Arabian bustard ("Ardeotis arabs"). Conservation. The park was designated in 1969 by the Ethiopian Government. The park was not formally gazetted, and for decades the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) lacked sufficient funding and staffing to effectively manage the park. The local people are Afar pastoralists, who graze livestock inside and adjacent to the  park.