CHEW BAHIR LAKE

Called Chew Bahir ("salt sea") in Amharic, and also known as Lake Stephanie, it lies at the end of the Ethiopian Rift, less than 400 m above sea level. The flooded surface area of this basin depends on its supply by the Segan and Weyto rivers. In the dry season, evaporation causes the lake to cover only 10% of its surface area, leaving areas crystallized by rising salinity. After the rains, a more diversified wildlife takes possession of the swampy area, with herbivores attracting their predators in their wake.