LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Lake Nakuru National Park was named after the shallow alkaline Lake in Kenya’s Rift Valley, by the Maasai communities which inhabit the region which means “Dust or Dusty Place”. The park covers an area of about 62 sq km (24 sq miles) in extent, immediately south of Nakuru town. Nakuru is 156 Km away north-west of Nairobi city and makes the park an idle for a day trip or/and connection to Masai Mara and Samburu National Park.

Lake Nakuru National Park is truly the park for the keen bird-watchers rather than wildlife adventures. This alkaline lake has a legion of Greater and Lesser Flamingo concentrations of more than a million making the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world. Due to plenty algae which flamingo feed from and other fish of lake maintain the population of these birds. The availability of food resource collocates with the population. However the introduction of Talapia fish in the lake has considerably increased the bird sanctuary.

The panorama of Lake Nakuru National Park birds goes ahead with birds of prey including species of lanner, vultures, long-crested eagle. Other birds include lesser kestrels, steppe eagle, European marsh

harriers and other many more. At the southern end of the Lake and on the north-eastern shore, is a breed for white pelican. Lake Nakuru has more than 450 different species recorded today.

The Nakuru landscape is delightful, areas of sedge, marsh and grasslands alternating with rocky cliffs and outcrops, stretches of yellow-barked acacia woodland and on the eastern perimeter rocky hillsides covered with a forest of grotesque-looking Euphorbia trees all set against a background of hilly, broken country.

While in Lake Nakuru you have a chance to view fenced rhino who were introduced in the park as well as giraffe. Other wildlife is hippos, impala, striped hyena, bat-eared fox, wildcat, reedbuck, water buck and bushbuck a few to mention.