Want to get up close and sort of personal with a wild elephant? A lot of people do, and the Ethiopian government is hoping to take advantage of that to help boost tourism income.The Babile wildlife sanctuary near Harar, 350 miles east of the capital city of Addis Ababa, is the first in the country to offer visits specifically for viewing elephants, whose numbers are in sharp decline. Right now there are only about 300 of them in the sanctuary.
The African nation's government has invested in hotels, airports and other infrastructure, with an eye toward raising income from tourism by about 15% to around $200 million.
ON THE WEB
• Paleo-tourism in Ethiopia
• CIA World Factbook: Ethiopia
• Dowd's Guides
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