The article will briefly describe the Kenyan Nakuru Lake National Park: its location, history, and main attractions. This is a unique area that is home to many rare and endangered species that need protection.
General information, history of creation
Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya received its status in 1968. But already a few years before, in 1960, a conservation area was created here. This was due to the fact that many pelicans and flamingos live in these places. In the national park, other species fell under the protection: white rhinos, giraffes, leopards and lions, etc. Subsequently, the territory was further expanded to cover the distribution range of black rhinos, which also need protection and protection from poachers. To date, their population is not as numerous as white rhinos, and this measure was necessary.
In total, there are more than 450 species of birds in the territory of Lake Nakuru National Park alone.
Description of the area
The ecosystem of the Nakuru Lake National Park, the photo of which is presented in the article, is concentrated, as you can understand, around the lake of the same name. It is one of the natural reservoirs located along the East African fault zone of the earth's crust. The area of the park is 188 square kilometers, and the surface itself is about 40. There is a lake to the northwest of the Kenyan capital Nairobi (distance is 157 kilometers), in the southwestern part of the country, not far from the city, which is also called Nakuru. It is the fourth largest city in Kenya.
The lake itself is located at an altitude of 1759 meters above sea level. This is one of the highest mountain reservoirs. The Nakuru basin is about 1800 square kilometers. It receives most of the water of two large rivers - Nderit and Nyiro. The maximum depth of the lake is no more than three meters. The water in it is salty.
The landscape surrounding the lake is not too bright. The park is located on a flat terrain surrounded by low hills. The shores of the lake are overgrown with grass vegetation, and a little at a distance forests begin. The name of the reservoir in translation from the Masai language means "dusty".
In addition to animals and birds, which will be described later, the park has unique landscape places.
Mengengai Volcano
An extinct volcano called Mengengai is a famous landmark of the national park. According to scientific evidence, this area was once volcanic. Currently, only a few geysers remind of underground activity. Some volcanic craters were filled with water. This contributed to the fact that the water of Lake Nakuru has strongly alkaline characteristics, and not all living organisms can exist in such an environment.
The giant caldera of the extinct volcano Mengengai is located at an altitude of 2 kilometers 278 meters above sea level. Its diameter is 8-12 kilometers. To its edge you can climb on foot along the trail. At the bottom of the caldera, at a depth of about 500 meters, lies a valley surrounded by sheer walls. The last volcanic eruption, according to scientific data, took place in 6050 BC. In addition to it, from the edge of the caldera offers a beautiful view of the lakes Nakuru and Bokoria.
It is the second largest volcano crater on our planet.
Species of birds
As mentioned above, initially the territory received protected status in order to preserve the number of unique species of birds living here. The lake became most famous due to the flamingos nesting here. These are the most numerous accumulations of these birds, and about one and a half million individuals can live during the nesting period on Lake Nakuru! In addition to flamingos, pelicans live here, which in the season can gather up to half a million.
A large number of birds survive in the reservoir due to its unique ecosystem, which includes the blue-green algae Cyanophyte Spirulina platensis. Together with small crustaceans, they form the basis of the flamingo diet. In addition to these birds and pelicans, several species of herons, spoonbill, yellow-billed stork, cormorants, hammerheads, marabou, vultures, screaming eagles, etc. live in the territory of the national park.
Animals
In the National Park "Lake Nakuru" a large number of animal species are represented (56 mammals alone). These are the white and black rhinos already mentioned above, the impala antelope, the Ugandan giraffe, the water goat, African buffalo, predatory mammals, various reptiles, etc.
The White Rhino is the largest in the Rhino family. It occupies the fourth place among land animals, larger than it - only three species of elephants. The mass of male champions in adulthood can reach five tons, although it is usually more modest (2-2.5 tons). In height, the animal grows to 1.6-2 meters. The total number of individuals of white rhino today is about 20 thousand.
The black rhino is somewhat smaller, grows to 1.5-1.6 meters and weighs 2-2.2 tons. This species is even smaller than the white rhinoceros, and today the total number of individuals is about 3.5 thousand, while at the end of the 60s of the XX century there were more than 13 thousand. Unfortunately, his Cameroonian subspecies Diceros bicornis longipes has been officially extinct since 2011.
At the end of the last decade, Lake Nakuru, a national park, was home to about 70 individuals of the white rhino and more than 40 individuals of the black.
Ugandan giraffe, or Rothschild, is the rarest species of giraffe. All known individuals live in the national parks of Kenya and Uganda, including Lake Nakuru. There are no more than 700 of them in nature. The population was moved to Lake Nakuru National Park to save it from western Kenya.
The water goat is a fairly prosperous species, which, according to the Red Book, is “under a slight threat”. During their stay in the national park, their number has increased markedly, and today it is one of the most common animals here.
Of the predators living in the park, one can name lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas. These include baboons who live on trees near the lake and often hunt for flamingos.
Of the reptiles there are many diverse lizards, including very bright colors. The park is home to many pythons, which can be seen in the wooded part hanging from tree branches or resting on them.
Tourists admission
The airport closest to the park is in Nairobi. The park is easy to get along the highway that connects the Kenyan capital and the capital of Uganda, Kampala, as this road passes through its territory.
The territory of the park is fenced. Moving on it yourself is strictly prohibited, except for specially equipped viewing platforms. Tourists move around the park in jeeps. To get to its territory, foreign citizens need to pay $ 80 (for students and children - 40). Here you can stay for the night. The choice of options is quite large: from expensive hotels to cheap campsites.
Interesting Facts
Traditionally, Lake Nakuru is considered salty, but in the 1990s its salinity dropped sharply. Subsequently, it recovered, but in different parts it still has different meanings.
The horns of black rhinos that live in the national park can reach gigantic proportions. So, in one of the females nicknamed Gerti, the horn grew to 138 centimeters. For 6-7 years, he grew by about 45 centimeters.
