Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya *

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Richprins
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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

Post by Richprins »

Excellent! ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^

Park looks quite small and surrounded, Duke?




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Duke

Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

Post by Duke »

Toko wrote:That looks like a mixed flock of Greater and Lesser Flamingo feeding :shock:

The Pelican close-up [O] is fantastic O\/ O\/ O\/

What about the difference in the colors -O- One in breeding plumage and the other in non-breeding mood? Or is it a difference between males and females? :-?
There were greater and lesser flamingos. I make it to be the Great White Pelican not the pink backed Pelican. My book tells me that the forehead is swollen and brighter during the breeding season :-)
Richprins wrote:Excellent! ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^

Park looks quite small and surrounded, Duke?
it is a small park RP. Thanks for the Maps ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^


Duke

Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

Post by Duke »

More birdies

Marabou Stork amongst the Pelicans
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Yellow Billed Stocks and Zebra
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Zebra and Pelicans
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Duke

Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

Post by Duke »

Thanks Bushcraft, nan, Lisbeth, Flutterby, Pumbaa and Pooky \O

On the way out from the lake I saw more rhinos and buffalos

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and these two jackals

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Mel
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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

Post by Mel »

0/* Duke,
Not sure if you already know this article, but I thought rather twice than not at all. O**
Found it quite nice to read.

Closer to Nature in Nakuru
24 Aug 2013
Whether it is to be close to the wildlife in Nakuru or to commune with nature at the Mara or even to savour the beaches of Mombasa, each state has its own pleasures to cherish. Ada Igboanugo Writes

Life in the Wild

En route the cooler part of the country was indeed a bumpy ride. There were no direct flights to Nakuru and so the best available means of transportation was by road and it took about six hours to reach our destination. Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes at an elevation of 1754 meters above sea level. It lies to the south of Nakuru, in the rift valley of Kenya and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park.

On arrival at our destination, Sarova Game Lodge, we observed the presence of wild life freely roaming the streets as we appeared as intruders on their territory. From zebras to hippos to monkeys and even Gazelles, they cleared the path as we approached the lodge, though at some point we had to stop for the monkey to take their time strolling off the road.

The lake’s abundance of algae attracts the vast quantity of flamingos that famously line the shore. Other birds also flock the area, as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals. Black and white rhinos have also been introduced.

The lake’s level dropped dramatically in the early 1990s but has since largely recovered.
Nakuru means “Dust or Dusty Place” in the Maasai language. Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town, was established in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity, but has since been extended to include a large part of the savannahs.

The National Park meanwhile was created in the same year around Lake Nakuru, near Nakuru Town. It is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The number of flamingos on the lake varies with water and food conditions and the vantage point is from Baboon Cliff. Also of interest is an area of 188 km (116 mi) around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild giraffes, black rhinos and white rhinos.

Later in the day, we went on a nature drive to see the wild life at close range. Gazing through the open roof, the giraffe and the buffaloes from my line of sight were a beauty to behold. The park has recently been enlarged partly to provide the sanctuary for the black rhinos as well. This undertaking has necessitated a fence - to keep out poachers rather than to restrict the movement of wildlife. The park marches for 12.1 kilometers on the south eastern boundary with the Soysambu conservancy which represents a possible future expansion of habitat for the rhinos and the only remaining wildlife corridor to Lake Naivasha.

The park now has more than 25 black rhinos, one of the largest concentrations in the country, plus around 70 white rhinos. There are also a number of Rothschild’s giraffe, again relocated for safety from western Kenya beginning in 1977. Waterbuck are very common and both the Kenyan species are found here. Among the predators are lion, cheetah and leopard, the latter being seen much more frequently in recent times. The park also has large sized pythons that inhabit the dense woodlands, and can often be seen crossing the roads or dangling from trees. I was really looking forward to seeing the big five and I did.

In addition to flamingos, there are myriad other bird species that inhabit the lake and the area surrounding it, such as African fish eagle, goliath heron, hamerkop, pied kingfisher and verreaux eagle.

Commune with Nature at the Mara

Having felt the wild side, we made our way again to the heart of nature itself at the Mara.
The Mara was my favorite part of the trip as it was a warm welcome for relaxation after a hectic tour round the country. The bustling sound of nature, in its own way, created a serene atmosphere, that registered as whispers, creating a scenery of trying to communicate with you. The Maasai Mara National Reserve (also spelled Masai Mara; known by the locals as The Mara) is a large game reserve in Narok County, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Mara Region, Tanzania.

It is named in honor of the Maasai people (the ancestral inhabitants of the area) and their description of the area when looked at from afar: “Mara”, which is Maa (Maasai language) for “spotted,” an apt description for the circles of trees, shrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that p-o-k-e-r (Had to amend this as it is a forbidden word on the forum) the area.

It is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration.

On our game drive, we spotted the biggest elephants ever as well as the lions, and that was with a lot of patience and quiet.
Wildebeest, topi, zebras and Thomson’s gazelle migrate into and occupy the Mara reserve, from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita plains in the pastoral ranches to the north-east, from July to October or later. Herds of all three species are also resident in the reserve.

All members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and Black Rhinoceros) are found in the Maasai Mara. The population of Black rhinos was fairly numerous until 1960, but it was severely depleted by poaching in the 1970s and early 1980s, dropping to a low of 15. Numbers have been slowly increasing, but the population was still only up to an estimated 23 in 1999.

Hippopotami and Nile crocodiles are found in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers. Leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes can also be found in the reserve. The plains between the Mara River and the Esoit Siria Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah.

As in the Serengeti, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitants of the Maasai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions. Around July of each year, these ungainly animals migrate north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving some 1,300,000 wildebeests, 500,000 Thomson’s gazelles, 97,000 Topi, 18,000 elands, and 200,000 zebras. These migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by hungry predators, most notably lions and hyena.

Numerous other antelopes can be found, including Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impalas, elands, duikers and Coke’s hartebeests. Large herds of zebra are found through the reserve. The plains are also home to the distinctive Masai giraffe. The large Roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders.

More than 470 species of birds have been identified in the park, many of which are migrants, with almost 60 species being raptors. Birds that call this area home for at least part of the year include: vultures, marabou storks, secretary birds, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, long-crested Eagles, African pygmy-falcons and the lilac-breasted roller, which is the national bird of Kenya.

Beaches in Mombasa
Having felt the wild and communed with nature, we made way once again, to the second largest city in Kenya, Mombasa but this time via flight. It took us about 45 minutes to arrive at the city. The coastal region brought familiar reminders of the metro city back home, Lagos. We drove from the airport, crossed the mainland and headed towards the island where the beach resorts were located.

On arrival, the maasai people welcomed us with a song in their native languages and dances to go with it, but what was more welcoming was the clapping of the wave and the slapping of the sea across the shore. The gentle breeze it blew into my room didn’t require use of fan or air conditioner. Later that night, dinner was served at the beach-front and it couldn’t have been any better.


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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya *

Post by Rumuruti »

Lake Nakuru was one of the National Parks I grew up in as my father had a coffee farm to the west and we went to school in Nairobi so every time we had school holidays it was a must stopover.

Something very important you might want to know about lake Nakuru.
- Kenya is not white rhino territory and there were very few and were very rare to find and see. About 30 odd years ago the Kenya Government signed an agreement with the South African one and a number of white rhino's were brought to Lake Nakuru from Kruger NP.
I bet this surprises you all!
It started as an experiment and over the years it worked out very well. The park now has a good population of white rhino and every 4-5 years some are moved to other national parks or private conservation areas.

- The fence built around most of the national park was built to keep wild animals away from the farms around the park. Over the years Nakuru town grew and the fence now serves to keep wild animals from roaming the streets of the town. Something very similar to Phalaborwa.
At the moment the biggest problem for this park is pollution and Nakuru town which has occupied most of the northern border of the park. Very common to hear of lions, leopards and other animals roaming the streets and people trapped in their houses......Kenyans are generally dead scared of all wild animals.

Hope this extra info helps understand why so many rhino can be found there.


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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya *

Post by nan »

thank you Rumuruti for these explanations \O O0

I was there too, but didn't found Rhinos... several moons ago ;-)


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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya *

Post by Richprins »

Thanks, Rums!

Ja, white rhino never big in Kenya...ironically black rhino the iconic locals, and some sent to SA in the old days?

Didn't know about that deal, so am surprised! :-0

Very interesting indeed! \O


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Re: Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya *

Post by Flutterby »

Thanks for that info Rumuruti! \O


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