National parks in Kenya

The flora and fauna of the country is as diverse as the geography of the land. For the protection of nature, Kenya has established a large number of national parks and wildlife reserves, which are home to some of the most impressive animals in Africa. Most parks are well developed for visitors.

The Lake Nakuru National Park

Among tourists, the Lake Nakuru National Park in the southwest of the country is very popular. In the early 1960s, the area around Lake Nakuru was declared Africa's first bird sanctuary. Gradually, the park was expanded until it reached its current size of almost 190 km². What makes it particularly valuable is the fact that it is home to one of the largest flamingo populations in the world. Up to two million of these birds gather at the lake at their peak.
The Lake Nakuru National Park gained international attention as a rhino conservation area, where endangered species live under the protection of rangers. It is also home to the endangered Rothschild giraffes, whose population has recovered strongly. In total, the national park is home to more than 450 different bird and 50 mammal species.

The Tsavo East National Park

One of the largest national parks in the country is the Tsavo East National Park, which borders southern Kenya on the state border with Tanzania. The 21,800 km² large park is characterized by very dry vegetation. The vast grass and bush savannas in the southern area turn into a semi-desert in the north. Typical of the protected area is the red color of the soil, after which the red elephants were named, which dust themselves with the soil for skin care.
6,000 elephants live in the park, making the Tsavo East National Park the home of one of Kenya's largest elephant populations. Gazelles and antelopes have perfectly adapted to the harsh life in the region. They serve as prey for lions and cheetahs, which are increasingly found in the park.
At the few water points of the protected area, for example at the Galana River, there are not only hippopotamuses and crocodiles, but also a large number of water birds. The park is home to more than 600 bird species.

The Arabuko Sokoke National Park

One of the few national parks that is located directly on the coast of the Indian Ocean is the Arabuko Sokoke National Park. The park is only six km² in size, but it is home to a large number of land and water animals. The protected area is located on the edge of the Crown Parks; a small part of the Crown Parks was declared a national park two decades ago to protect highly endangered species.
Six bird species as well as the endangered golden-rumped elephant shrews and the Zanzibar suni live in the small area, which also includes part of the coastal rainforest. Small populations of forest elephants and civet cats also live here.