Lake Nakuru national park

The park has recently been enlarged partly to provide a sanctuary for black rhinos. This endeavor has necessitated a fence – to keep out poachers rather than to restrict the movement of wildlife. The park stretches for 12.1 km 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 eastern black rhinoceros, one of the largest concentrations in the country, plus around 70 southern white rhinos. There are also a number of Rothschild’s giraffe, Waterbucks are very common and both the Kenyan subspecies are found here. Among the predators are lions, cheetahs and leopards, 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.

There are two types of flamingo species: the lesser flamingo (shorter and lighter) and the greater flamingo (taller and darker). The lesser flamingos are more commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because their larger numbers. The flamingos feed on algae, created from their droppings into the warm alkaline waters, and plankton. But flamingos are not the only avian attraction; also present are two large fish eating birds, pelicans and cormorants. Despite the tepid and alkaline waters, a diminutive fish, Alcolapia grahami has flourished after being introduced in the early 1960s. The lake is rich in other bird life too. There are over 400 resident species on the lake and in the surrounding park. Thousands of both little grebes and white winged black terns are frequently seen as are stilts, avocets, ducks, and in the European winter the migrant waders.