Smaller mammals such as Rock hyraxes, Elephant Shrews, Galagos, Horseshoe bats, Abyssinian hares, Ground squirrels, and Naked mole-rats are common in these habitats.

In addition to the effect of elephant population decline, researchers discovered that human activities such as illegal farming, ethnic conflict, overgrazing of livestock, and deforestation caused by local settlement of pastoralists and farmers, who lived within the sanctuary, disrupt elephants' migratory patterns and feeding areas resulting in human-elephant conflict.

Invasive plants such as lantana flowers and long-thorn kiawe shrubs start to intoxicate the environment, most likely threatening livestock and wildlife.

[9][10][11] Despite its establishment, the sanctuary suffers poor management from the park rangers because of its unfunded effect from training, poverty, and environmental neglect.

Conditions at this sanctuary are primitive, and it is not equipped for tourists,[12] but the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced plans to remedy this shortcoming.