Month: October 2020

The Aberdare National Park, with an area of 767 Km2  covers the higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain Ranges of Central Kenya, from altitude of 1829M to 4001M above sea level.  The topography is quite diverse with deep ravines that cut through the forested eastern and western slopes. Animals easily observed in the park include; the Black Rhino, leopard, African hunting dog, baboon, black and white Colobus monkey and Sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of lions, giant forest hog Aberdare Cisticola, the golden cat and the bongo- an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals like the eland and spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands.

Visitors can also indulge in picnics, walking, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the Jackson’s Francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers.

Covering an area of 767 square kilometers, Aberdares National Park is part of the Aberdares mountain ranges; the mountain range slopes on the western side of the the Great Rift Valley, 180 Km away from Nairobi.

Aberdares National Park lies mainly above the tree line running along the 10,000ft contour with some forest and scrub at lower altitude in the ‘salient’ area near Nyeri with the boundary running down to the 7,000ft contour. Aberdares National Park’s topography is diverse with deep ravines that cut through the forested eastern and western slopes and there are many clear streams and waterfall.

Safari Attractions in Aberdares National Park

All of Africa’s Big Five (Lion, elephant, buffalo, Leopard and Rhino) among other animals and bird species can be seen in Aberdares National Park.

Other attractions in Aberdares National Park include the Kimathi Hideout, Night viewing of wildlife at the Ark and Treetops, Lesatima peak, Kinangop peak, waterfalls, and walks in the moorlands, Twin hills, Elephant hills and Table Mountain

Nairobi National Park is a unique ecosystem by being the only protected area in the world close to a capital city. The park is located only 7 km from Nairobi city centre. The savannah ecosystem comprise of different vegetation types. Open grass plains with scattered acacia bush are predominant. The western side has a highland dry forest and a permanent river with a riverine forest.  To the south are the Athi – Kapiti Plains and Kitengela migration corridor which are important wildlife dispersal areas during the rain season. Man-made dams within the park have added a further habitat, favorable to certain species of birds and other aquatic biome.

Major wildlife attractions are the Black rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, buffaloes, Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, elands and diverse bird-life with over 400 species recorded.  Other attractions include the Ivory burning site Monument, Nairobi Safari Walk, the Orphanage and the walking trails at hippo pools. This park also hosts the site of Kenya’s Ivory burning monument which was and still is Kenya’s symbol of and commitment to the fight against poaching and commitment to wildlife conservation.

A short drive out of Nairobi’s central business district is the Nairobi National Park. Wide open grass plains and backdrop of the city scrapers, scattered acacia bush play host to a wide variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Visitors can enjoy the park’s picnic sites, three campsites and the walking trails for hikers.

Key features

Samburu National Reserve adjoins the Buffalo Springs in the south and the Shaba National Reserve ( Shaba takes its name from Mount Shaba – 1525 meters ABSL, a volcanic mountain that became extinct around 5,000 years ago and lies on the border of the reserve.) to the East. These game reserves are traversed by the Ewaso Nyiro River which meanders slowly between numerous acacia and doum trees, providing life support to the dry-land animals and a home to many crocodiles and Hippos.

Covering an area of 165 square kilometers, Samburu National reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river in Kenya’s Samburu County. In the middle of the reserve flows the Ewaso Nyiro river through doum palm groves and thick ravine forest. This river is the main source of water, and without it the game in this arid region would not survive. This park is world famous because is where born free Elsa the lioness was raised by George and Joy Adamson, and Kamunyak the lioness adopted an Oryx. Large game common in Kenya’s northern plains can be found in large numbers here including gerenuk, Gravy’s zebra, Beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe. All the three big cats can also be found here, lion, leopard and cheetah as well as elephant, buffalo and hippos. Also present are 350 species of birds and crocodiles which can be seen basking in the sun along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river.

Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs National Reserves offer unique vistas of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains. The mix of wood and grassland with riverine forest and swamp is home to a wide variety of animal and birdlife. Buffalo Springs records over 365 species of bird. Game viewing and visibility is excellent. Reticulated giraffe, Gravy’s zebra, elephant, oryx, Somali ostrich, hippo, crocodile, gerenuk, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. Shaba National Reserve is home to Joy Adamson’s Monument.

Samburu Shaba and Buffalo Springs Reserves Safari Attraction

The Samburu region is the best place to find several endemic Northern species, including Gerenuk, the Reticulated Giraffe, and Gravy’s Zebra, the long horned Beisa Oryx and the Somali Ostrich.

One of the great soda lakes in the Rift Valley, its ecosystem comprises of the lake surrounded by mainly wooded and bushy grasslands. It supports a wide ecological diversity with greater and lesser flamingos and other water birds being the major attractions. The park is also famous for its healthy population of mammals, 56 in total including the white rhino, buffaloes, lions, cheetah, leopard and a wide variety of terrestrial birds with 450 species recorded so far.

Lake Nakuru is a shallow strongly alkaline lake set in a picturesque landscape of surrounding woodland and grassland. The landscape includes areas of marsh and grasslands alternating with rocky cliffs and outcrops, stretches of acacia woodland and rocky hillsides covered with a Euphorbia forest.

Lake Nakuru National Park is situated approximately 164 kilometers from Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley, in Kenya, near Nakuru town.

Lake Nakuru is a world class bird watching safari destination home to millions of Flamingos (greater and lesser), the fish eating pelicans as well as over 450 other species of birds. In addition to being a sanctuary for rhinos and the reticulated giraffe, Lake Nakuru National Park is also home to a variety of wildlife such as the lion, leopard, rhino, giraffe and buffalo.

Lake Nakuru National Park Topography Lake Nakuru’s landscape includes areas of marsh and grasslands alternating with rocky cliffs and outcrops, stretches of acacia woodland and rocky hillsides covered with a Euphorbia forest on the eastern perimeter.

Amboseli National Park , Kenya’s Second Most Popular National Park after the Masai Mara National Reserve is 260km (160 miles) from Nairobi, on the border with the neighboring country of Tanzania. Its magnificent situation at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, combined with its excellent opportunities to view Kenya’s animals, make it one of the most-visited safari parks in Kenya.

It is located in Loitoktok District, on the floor of the Rift Valley. It is mainly a savannah grassland ecosystem and is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants among other wildlife species. Other attractions in the park include the views of the magnificent and majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest free standing volcanic mountain in the world. The big cats and other plains game are abundant and common in Amboseli as well.

Covering 392 km2 and forming part of the much larger 3,000 Km2 Amboseli ecosystem, Amboseli National Park lies immediately North West of Mount Kilimanjaro, on the border with Tanzania. This Kenya safari attraction is located 250km from Nairobi and 310 Km from Mombasa.

Amboseli National Park’s ecosystem embodies 5 main wildlife habitats (open plains, acacia woodland, rocky thorn bush country, swamps and marshland) and covers part of a lake basin. The vegetation is varied but dominated by savannah which allows easy game spotting.

Wildlife in Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Parks home to lions, leopards, zebra, hyena, impala, giraffe, cheetah and over 400 bird species among other animals. Amboseli is famous for its huge elephant herds, big game and its great scenic beauty – the landscape is dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tsavo West National Park is a popular safari destination on account of its magnificent scenery, Mzima Springs, rich and varied wildlife, good road system, rhino reserve, rock climbing potential and guided walks along the Tsavo River.

Covering an area of 7,065 square kilometers, Tsavo West is a savannah ecosystem that comprises of open grasslands, scrublands and acacia woodlands, belts of ravive vegetation and rocky ridges. Animals present in this park include rhino, lions, cheetah, leopard, hippos, buffalo, and over 600 diverse bird species including the threatened corncrake and the near threatened Basra Reed Warbler.

Distance: Located 240 km from Nairobi, 250km from Mombasa and covering an area of 9,065 square kilometers, Tsavo West National Park covers 30% of total Kenyan land under National Parks.

Tsavo West National Park’s landscape consists of open plains alternating with savannah bush and semi desert scrub, acacia woodlands, rocky ridges and outcrops and more extensive ranges and isolated hills; belts of riverine vegetation; palm thickets and on the Chyulu Hills, mountain forest.

Tsavo West National Park safari attractions

Tsavo West National Park is a popular Kenya safari destination on account of its magnificent scenery, Mzima springs, rich and varied wildlife, rhino sanctuary, good road system, rock climbing and guided walks potential along the Tsavo River. The Big Five can be found in the park along with a fine range of antelope species, elephants and a huge number of bird species. Other places of interest to visit include the Chaimu Crater and the Roaring Rocks.

Tsavo East National Park is located 333 km from Nairobi and approximately 160 Km from Mombasa, it is one of the largest national parks in Kenya.
The park contains some fantastic terrain, including rivers, lakes, tarns, glaciers, and peaks with a wide variety of vegetation, including grasslands, acacia vegetation, open plains and savanna. It is therefore recognized as one of the world’s leading bio-diversity strongholds. Some of the popular destinations within the park include the Mudanda Rock.

The joint mass of Tsavo East and Tsavo West forms one of the Largest National parks in the world. Tsavo East covers an area of 13,747 square kilometers. It is a vast and untouched area of arid bush and it is drained by the Galana river which meanders across the park. It is guarded by the never ending lava reaches of the Yatta plateau, the longest lava flow in the world, and its wilderness is roamed by some of the biggest herds of ‘red’ elephants in Kenya. Also present in the park are lions, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippo, crocodile, lots of other plains game and 500 recorded species of birds.

Kenya’s oldest and largest National Parks, Tsavo East National Park is a famous and home to some of the largest herds of elephant in Kenya, the elephants glow red after dust baths, blowing the vivid red dust through their trunks over their bodies, large prides of lion are sighted regularly and another great sight is the spectacular herds of up to 1000 buffalo.

Tsavo East National Park covers an area of about 11,747 sq and is located 333km south-east of Nairobi, and 173km north-west of Mombasa .Tsavo East National Parks consists mostly of miles and miles of dry flat thorn-bush, semi-arid acacia scrub and narrow woodland dominated by acacia.

There is a wide variety of animals to be seen in Tsavo East National Park: lion, leopard, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, serval cats, antelopes, kongoni, lesser kudu, oryx, klipspringer, impala, stripped hyena, gazelles, buffalos and elephants. Some 500 bird species have been recorded in the area, including ostrich and some migratory kestrels, while buzzards stop at Tsavo-East during their long flight South.

Safari Attractions in Tsavo East National Park

• Lugard’s Falls is a series of rapids on the Galana River where crocodiles love to bathe.
• Yatta Plateau is the world’s longest lava flow at 290km long.
• Mudanda Rock is a 1.6km outcrop of rock, with a dam at its base. This is a popular drinking place for animals.
• Aruba Dam also attracts animals and birds looking for a place to drink.

Tsavo East and the mane-less man-eating lions

In 1898, long before Tsavo National Park was created, a pair of mane less male lions terrorized the area. They reputedly killed 135 railway workers who were building the Kenya-Uganda railway. These man-eating lions dragged men from their tents, despite the thorn fences (bomas) built to keep them out. The mane less lions evaded traps and ambushes and were finally shot by Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson.