The home of the endemic Swayne's heartbeest is situated 305 km south of Addis Ababa. It is primarily created for the conservation of the endemic Swayne’s Hartebeest; the Sanctuary is now a home for 36 mammals and 191 bird species three of which are endemic to Ethiopia. It entails skepticism to hear that Swayne’s Hartebeest is a member of the Hamben

The Sanctuary is the only Elephant Sanctuary in Africa established to conserve one of the biggest land animal species in the world. It is the largest conservation area in the country. The area is covered with different higher plant species most of which are indigenous to the country.  Besides the giants of land mammals Elephants, the sanctuary