Grivet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) are restricted to fragmented forests where food and space are limiting factors. The study investigated the feeding and activity patterns of grivet monkeys in Batiero Church Forest, northern Ethiopia, using focal and scan sampling techniques. Both focal and scan animal sessions lasted 15min, with 5min rest intervals between sessions. During the early dry season, grivet monkeys mainly fed on Acacia sieberiana (26.5) and Juniperus procera (17.5). Dry season food selection was significantly different, J. procera (20.5), Acacia mearnsii (15.6), A. sieberiana (14.2), and Cyperus bulbosus (12.7). The predominant plant parts eaten were seeds (42.6 and 33.3 in early dry and dry seasons, respectively) followed by leaves (34.5 and 22.5 in early dry and dry seasons, respectively). The activity patterns showed no significant seasonal variation, and the most frequent activity was feeding (33.3 and 32.6, in early dry and dry seasons, respectively). The preferred food source tree species are threatened, and the survival of the grivet monkeys depends on the conservation of indigenous plants and trees.

Accurate assessment of ecotourism site suitability is essential for sustainability planning, ecological conservation, and local economic development. This study evaluates ecotourism suitability in the Lake Tana watershed, Ethiopia, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and multi-criteria evaluation techniques. The methodological novelty of this study lies in the integration of spatial environmental and infrastructural factors, supplemented with local expert and community perceptions, within a GIS-based AHP framework. This provides a more comprehensive and context-specific suitability assessment for sustainable ecotourism development in the Lake Tana watershed compared to previous broader regional studies, including detailed validation using ROC-AUC and consideration of multiple accessibility metrics. Key factors considered include elevation, slope, vegetation density, and proximity to water bodies and infrastructure. A suitability map was developed based on weighted criteria derived from pairwise comparisons. The results showed that 20% of the watershed, mainly around Lake Tana and nearby water bodies, is highly suitable for ecotourism development, while 50% is moderately suitable, 3.5% is marginally suitable, and 26% is unsuitable. The findings provide important guidance for sustainable ecotourism planning, policy development, and evidence-based decision making, and demonstrate the applicability of GIS–AHP approaches for assessing ecotourism potential in other regions.

Khatasa Protected Forest is one of the protected forests found in the Awi Zone of Amhara Regional State that has been protected since 1994. The study on the population distribution of the Colobus monkey ( Colobus guereza ) was carried out from January 2021 to August 2021. For this purpose, a line transect survey was established using a stratified random sampling procedure based on their vegetation types. Distance software, Version 7.3, was used to analyze the abundance and density of Colobus monkeys. For data analysis, the conventional distance sampling model with hazard rate key function and simple polynomial adjustment was employed. The detection function of the Colobus monkey during the dry season showed that the Hazard rate key function model parameters A (1) and B (1) were positively correlated ( r = 0.791 and 0.681, during dry and wet seasons). The model took the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC) values of 282.2 and 260.20, during the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The total number of Colobus monkeys in the study area was 229 during the dry season and 183 during the wet season, respectively, while the sex ratio of Colobus monkeys in the study area was 1:2.9. The AIC value gives us the relative measure of fit or model performance, and the test indicates that the data were normally distributed and fitted to the selected model of analysis (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test [ p = 0.74] and Cramer–von Mises family tests [ p = 0.70] during the dry season and [ p = 0.80]) during the wet season, respectively. Determining the population status of monkeys in dry and wet seasons in this protected area would enable to take conservation actions.

Accurate information on ecotourism site suitability is crucial for effective planning, aiding in ecological conservation and local economic uplift. This study addresses the lack of documented ecotourism site suitability in the Lake Tana watershed of Ethiopia by evaluating factors such as elevation, slope, vegetation density, and proximity to water and infrastructure using Geographical Information System (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation methods. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with GIS was used to create a resource inventory and establish sustainable tourism criteria. A suitability map was developed based on weights from pair-wise comparisons of the selected criteria. Results show that 20% of the area, particularly near Lake Tana and water bodies, is highly suitable for ecotourism. Additionally, 50% is moderately suitable, 3.1% is marginally suitable, and 26% is unsuitable for development. These findings can guide resilient policies for ecotourism initiatives and help assess sustainable tourism in other regions. Regional tourism offices, Non-governmental Organizations, and policymakers can use this data to evaluate natural resource suitability for ecotourism, providing a foundation for further research in the field.