Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya.
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The one close to the city National Park Often underestimated, it has abundant wildlife and is inexpensive to explore. Large herds of zebras, rhinos, wildebeests, buffalo, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, hippos and birds (over 400 species) live here, but no elephants. Here you can also get the Nairobei Safari Walk visit, an educational center to raise awareness about wildlife and habitat conservation. That’s also in the park Nairobi Animal Orphanage, a care station for wild animals. If you don't have time for the famous parks like Massai Mara, Tsavo, Amboseli, etc., or if the costs are too high, a visit to the Nairobi National Park is an inexpensive alternative. The Nairobi National Park is 117 km². This makes this park very small compared to other African national parks. The height above sea level is between 1533 and 1760 m. The park is the only protected area of the Athi-Kapiti ecosystem. It is home to a wide range of species. The park is demarcated by an electric fence to the north, east and west. In the south, the Mbagathi River forms a natural boundary. This open border allows large herds of ungulates to migrate.
history
British colonists came to the area where the park is now in the late 19th century. At that time there was a lot of wildlife in the Athi Plains east and south of what is now Nairobi. The nomadic Maasai lived and looked after their cattle in the midst of the wildlife. The Kikuyu cultivated the wooded highlands north of Nairobi. As Nairobi grew - it had 14,000 inhabitants in 1910 - the conflicts between humans and animals increased. City residents carried guns at night to protect themselves from lions. People complained that giraffes and zebras were ruining their plantings. The animals were gradually brought to the wide plains west and south of Nairobi, and the colonial government made this area available as a game reserve. Settlers from Nairobi, including Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa, rode among gazelles, impalas and zebras in this reserve.
Conservationist Mervyn Cowie was born in Nairobi. When he returned to Kenya in 1932 after a nine-year absence, he was alarmed to find that the number of wildlife on the Athi plains had declined due to the expansion of farms and livestock. He later remembered this place as a paradise that quickly vanished. At that time the area that later became Nairobi National Park was part of the Southern Game Reserve. Hunting was not allowed on the reservation, but almost any other activity, including grazing, dumping, and even bombing by the Royal Air Force was allowed. Cowie began campaigning for the establishment of a national park system in Kenya. The government formed a committee to investigate the matter.
Opened in 1946, Nairobi National Park was the first national park established in Kenya. Masai pastoralists were removed from their land when the park was created. Cowie was named director of Nairobi National Park and held that position until 1966. In 1989 the Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi burned twelve tons of ivory on a construction site in the park that came from illegal poaching. This event improved the image of Kenya in the field of nature conservation and species protection.
landscape
largely flat savanna-like landscape
Flora and fauna
- Home to over 100 species of mammals, four of the Big Five (Lion, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros) are featured in the park. The park is too small for elephants. The Nairobi National Park is a very successful sanctuary for black rhinos. This makes it one of the very few parks where black rhinos can be found in their natural surroundings.
- Diverse bird life with over 400 bird species.
- Large predators - lion, leopard, hyena and cheetah.
- Large herbivores - buffalo, zebra, giraffe, antelope, ostrich, hippopotamus, buffalo, wildebeest, etc.
The major part of the park consists of savannah landscape, i. H. open grassy areas with sparse acacia trees. In the west of the park there is a highland with extensive forests. The park is crossed by several valleys with seasonal water-bearing rivers. Acacias and euphorbia trees grow in the valleys. In the south of the park there is also a river with alluvial forests that permanently carries water.
climate
You can visit the park all year round. January-March is hot and dry, April-June is hot and humid, and July-October is very warm and humid. After rainy days, the paths are muddy and can only be safely mastered by experienced drivers.
getting there
The park is located approximately 15 km from the city center of Nairobi and the easiest way to get there is by taxi.
Fees / permits / contact
- Admission is US $ 43 per day for adults, children $ 22.
- Phone: 020-2423423, 020-2587435, email: [email protected]
- KWS reservations: [email protected],
- Postal address: Nairobi National Park, The Warden, P.O. Box 42076-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
mobility
You can go to the park with your own vehicle or rental car, or better with guided tours. It is advisable to spend a full day (from the park opening at 6 a.m. until the park closes) so that you can really go everywhere, and at least with a minibus, better a jeep. Car is not advisable, on the one hand because of the unpaved roads, on the other hand because you sit deep and the high grass prevents the animals from being seen.
- KWS. The Kenya Wildlife Service offers 3 hour tours at fixed times in their jeep. But you should book this in advance, because there is only 1 jeep available for it. The KWS tours cost around 70 euros for the complete jeep, but only last around 3 hours.
- Organized safaris. Every accommodation in Nairobi organizes tours in the park as well as the myriad operators in Nairobi. The cost of minibuses for a full day including the driver is around 150 euros per bus. Jeep safaris are a bit more expensive.
- Private. You can also drive into the park privately with your own car / rental car and only hire a guide at the park entrance. The guide costs around 35 euros for the whole day, but must be booked in advance. It is also possible without a guide, but then you will have a lot less animal sightings because they know where the animals are usually located.
- Park taxis. At the parking lot at the headquarters in Langata, freelancers also offer tours with land cruisers and minibuses. You have to be there in good time, as they usually find customers quickly. The price is a matter of negotiation.
Tourist Attractions
- Nairobi Safari Walk. This safari hike is located right in front of the main entrance of Nairobi National Park on Langata Road and is a kind of zoo with its raised wooden promenade that allows unrestricted views of the animals. The zoo is home to many birds and other wildlife, including a pygmy hippopotamus, bongo and albino zebra, and white rhinoceros, as well as primates and big cats. Children in particular love the opportunity to get closer to the animals than is possible in a national park.Price: $ 22.
- Nairobi Animal Orphanage. The Nairobi Animal Orphanage is located in the Nairobi National Park. It serves as a treatment and rehabilitation center for wildlife. The orphanage is home to lions, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, serval cats, rare sokoke cats, warthogs, leopards, various monkeys, baboons and buffalo. A variety of birds can also be seen including parrots, guinea fowl, crowned cranes, and ostriches.Price: $ 22.
- Impala Observation Point. The best picnic spot in all of NNP.
- Hippo pools. Hiking trails at the hippopotamus pool.
activities
The main reason to visit a national park is for wildlife viewing. You should therefore take experienced guides with you if you are going to the park privately, or book an organized tour straight away.
kitchen
- Kenya wildlife service club house
facebook url used - Picnic areas. There are several picnic areas in the park. For organized full-day trips, meals are usually included. If you drive your own vehicle, you have to bring with you what you want to eat and drink.
accommodation
There are no hotels in the park itself.
security
If you follow the park rules that are posted at each of the entrances, you can visit a national park without hesitation. It should be clear to every visitor that carelessness in dealing with large animals can be fatal.
