Lake Nakuru joined in 2013 the list of other lakes in Rift Valley whose water levels have abnormally increased endangering the lives of residents and the ecosystems around the lake.
Some lakes are recognized as Wetlands of International Importance, and all are Important Bird Areas, with several being within UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites.
The lake level rises are worrying because of the destruction to homes, livelihoods, industry, and infrastructure, and loss of terrestrial wildlife habitat.
The effects on lake ecologies are a concern as flooding increases lake turbidity and dilutes the saline waters of alkaline lakes. Alkaline lakes like Nakuru provide unique feeding habitats for East Africa’s famous lesser flamingos.
Lake Nakuru is well known in Kenya for its rhino population, and it has one hundred white and fifty black rhinos to be seen.
Black and white rhinos naming has created confusion because both species of rhino are in fact grey… I hope I didn't make a mistake identifying this one as black!
The Augur Buzzard is a large, stocky hawk, which usually perches in full view on the ground on a prominence of ground or on a perch (tree, rock, post,…) and is not shy, so that one can often observe it at leisure.
Named for their preferred proximity to water, the Common Waterbuck feeds on plants near bodies of water in various habitats, including savannas and forests.
These creatures are designed for protection from Kenya’s predators in several ways. Their eyes are situated on the sides of their face in order to maximize their field of vision. Their bodies give off a strong odor that helps to ward off predators as well.
Another notable trait is their long horns, which are sometimes used by males when fighting over territory.
More Grant’s zebras are in the wild than any other species or subspecies of zebras. Unlike Grevy and mountain zebras, they are not endangered.
Grant’s zebras eat the coarse grasses that grow on the African plains, and they are resistant to diseases that often kill cattle, so the zebras do well in the African savannas.
However, recent civil wars and political conflicts in the African countries near their habitats has caused regional extinction, and sometimes zebras are killed for their coats, or to eliminate competition with domestic livestock.
While many might assume that the birds are a constant annoyance to the majestic buffalo who carry them across the plains of Kenya, they would only be half right.
A classic alliance in the animal kingdom is often seen in the African Buffalos. Birds often sit on the back of buffaloes, pecking in open wounds, picking vermin from the host's fur, and even looking deep into their ears and noses for food - typically a win-win situation for both.
The African buffalo is not an ancestor of domestic cattle and is only distantly related to other larger bovines. Its unpredictable temperament means that the African buffalo has never been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the water buffalo. African buffaloes have few predators aside from lions and large crocodiles.
A characteristic feature of the horns of adult male African buffalo (southern and eastern populations) is that the bases come very close together, forming a shield referred to as a “boss”.
The Rhino Sanctuary in Lake Nakuru National Park was the first Rhino sanctuary in Kenya and is currently home to the largest number of black rhinos in the country. The rhino sanctuary was established in 1984 when the first two rhinos were introduced to the lake Nakuru National Park grounds.
Lake Nakuru National Park was chosen as the first Rhino sanctuary because it was already a bird sanctuary and it had the needed land for the rhinos to be relocated at the time. Also because rhinos need water every day, the presence of the lake made it advantageous for rhinos to make their life in the park; the vegetation in the park is also suitable for both the white and black rhinos, so Lake Nakuru National Park was and still is the perfect place for the rhino sanctuary.
Ranger Sarah hike up onto the lava flow. The McCartys Flow is the most recent lava flow in the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field, and is one of thes youngest lava flows in the Southwest. It is approximately 3,900 years old.
— at El Malpais National Monument.
Olive baboons have a greenish-grey coat covering their bodies. Infants are born with a black natal coat that changes to the adult coloration as they age.
Olive baboons are widespread throughout equatorial Africa and are found in 25 countries.
Olive baboons live in a variety of habitats across their broad range. Baboons are generally characterized as savanna species, inhabiting open grassland near wooded areas.
The mantled guereza (Colobus guereza), also known simply as the guereza, the eastern black-and-white colobus, or the Abyssinian black-and-white colobus, is a black-and-white colobus, a type of Old World monkey. It is native to much of west central and east Africa.
It has a distinctive appearance, which is alluded to in its name; the long white fringes of hair that run along each side of its black trunk are known as a mantle. Its face is framed with white hair and it has a large white tail tuft.
The New River is the second oldest river on the planet. I’ve only recently come to understand the real significance of the Appalachians. I was born and raised in and around these mountains, and they were always just — you know — mountains.
They reach back something like 350 million years. Predating dinosaurs? Really?
There are many lakes along the length of the African Rift Valley, which runs from the Red Sea in the north to Mozambique in the south. Kenya’s eastern Rift Valley has a string of eight lakes.
The Rift Valley is subject to ongoing plate tectonics and crustal movement that can affect the lakes. The recent rises, though, are directly associated with above-average rainfall. The lakes have been even higher in the past, and with rainfall in the Rift Valley Basin being on a rising rainfall trend, higher lake levels can be expected in the future.
Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria, and Baringo have risen to their highest levels in decades, inundating roads and building infrastructure, yet they also are not as high as they were in the early part of the last century.
The saddle-billed stork, or saddlebill (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa.
This is a close relative of the widespread Asian and Australian black-necked stork, the only other member of the genus Ephippiorhynchus.
Amboseli National Park is a national park in Kenya that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. It is one of the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants.
The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
The African fish eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur.
This is a generalist species, requiring only open water with sufficient prey and a good perch, as evidenced by the number of habitat types in which this species may be found, including grassland, swamps, marshes, tropical rainforest, fynbos, and even desert-bordering coastlines
Some people say lions sleep 22 out of every 24 hours. It's true we often see them lying in the grass, sometimes yawning. But it doesn't mean they sleep when we're not there. “Lions lying sleeping in the shade on a hot day are […] conserving energy during the least energetically efficient time of the day. […] If the energy costs involved in an activity aren’t outweighed by its potential benefits, they simply won’t do it.” Clever.
Amboseli National Park is a national park in Kenya that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. It has great views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
This awesome view, the large variety of wild animals, and dirt tracks that can be used by buses, make it one of the most tourists crowded national park in Kenya.
“The iconic acacia tree in front of Mount Kilimanjaro”
The plains surrounding Kilimanjaro (the “lowlands”), are located between 600 and 800 meters above sea level. The climate is very hot and dry.
The vegetation is mainly composed of savannahs made up of numerous plant species, including the famous umbrella thorn acacia, a thorny tree that can reach up to 21 m high.