Saturday, February 26, 2011

Nakuru National Park

Thank you to those of you who have been following my Kenya series and who have taken the time to comment. I've been enjoying presenting the information about Kenya as much as people seem to enjoy viewing the photos and hearing about the different sights and scenes.  At the bottom of this post you will find links to the other posts in this series on Kenya.

Today I have a real treat. I will be featuring the Nakuru National Park.  It will actually take me several posts to share with you everything I want to show you about this wonderful park.  It is particularly poignant for me to share this post now for I just learned that a huge fire broke out on Wednesday evening at the Lake Nakuru National Park and that it is not so easy to put out. In fact, I don't know whether it has been put out yet.  I am writing this post on Friday so I'm hoping the fire will be completely extinguished when it is posted on Saturday.

Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Osman Warfa said the inferno had destroyed vegetation in more than 650 acres of the parkland consuming vegetation and parts of Europhobia forest.  Strong winds were fanning the blaze and spreading it quickly to the eastern side of the world renowned bird sanctuary. The Kenya Wildlife Service wardens and the Kenya army soldiers were battling to put out the fire. 

The park lies in Central Kenya, 140 km north-west of Nairobi, in Nakuru district, Rift Valley Province. The lake is surrounded mainly by wooded areas and bushy grasslands. The park supports a diversity of Flamingos (Greater and Lesser) and other water birds which are the main attractions of the area. However the ecosystem of the lake also consists of  about 56 different species of mammals, including the white rhino and buffaloes and a infinite variety of terrestrial birds, nearly 450 bird species in all.

The normally water-covered surface of the lake occupies about a third of the park. The lake water supports a dense bloom of the blue-green Cyanophyte Spirulina platensis from which it gets its colour and which is the major food source for the flamingoes.

The lake is fringed by alkaline swamps with areas of sedge, Cyprus laevigatus and typha marsh along the river inflows and springs. The surrounding areas support a dry transitional savanna with various types of grasslands. Elevated areas of the park are covered in dry forest and rocky hillsides.

There is a long and well tarmaced road leading into the park.

The grassy areas along the highway are well tended and provide park land for families and lovers to spend their free time in relaxation. Since these areas are outside of the park gates the people do not have to pay to sit and relax.

As we near the entrance gates to the park the green rooftops of various park buildings are in sight.

Before I go into the park I stop at the ladies restroom. I was very excited to see the restroom because it is so nice, clean and familiar. 

Anyone who has travelled to developing countries will know what I mean when I say the restrooms are familiar.  I am especially talking about the toilet. This one has a familiar seat rather than a hole in the floor.  Women in particular will appreciate not having to squat.

While we pay for our entrance, I survey the scene. A monkey climbed into the car above and "stole" the driver's lipstick.  She managed to get it back.

In the distance is the park restaurant. I didn't stop there as I had had lunch just before getting to the park.

A closer view of the restaurant.

We are now lining up to get into the park. The tourist in the green van had a monkey enter and try to "steal" things. I believe one of the tourists gave the monkey something to run off with.

This is the little office where you enter to pay the entrance fees and use the restrooms.

This is the michievous monkey that kept entering tourist cars and vans looking for things to take. You might see something red near his paws/hands. I believe that was the lipstick that he took from the woman in the gray car above.
Just past the gate and we see our first wild animal, a male waterbuck.

The Waterbuck looks so majestic. Look at it's liquid brown eyes staring at us.
Can you see the Waterbuck behind the fallen tree and Lake Nakuru in the distance just beyond the row of trees?
It's hard to pick favourites when it comes to wildlife but I have always loved the Zebra.

I love the way some animals can be just as curious as we humans. Here a Zebra checks me out.
If you click on this photo to enlarge it you might glimpse the flamingoes (more on them in a later post).
Here is a cute baby Zebra.

This Zebra was having a dust bath.

I'm  not sure what this antelope type is but you can see it is "hiding" behind the leafy bushes.  There are many kinds of antelope in the park.

Part of the fun of a safari is spotting the wildlife despite their camouflage.

Here we park for a bit overlooking the lake as we decide which direction to head in this vast park. More adventures to come!

Click here to read Part 1 in this series. It starts with my stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.
Click here to read Part 2 in this series in Kenya. It continues with my sojourn in Nairobi, Kenya.
Click here to read Part 3 in this series on Kenya where I stop to view a stunning lookout.
Click here to read Part 4 in this series on Kenya where I stop at Lake Elementeita.
Click here to read Part 5 in this series on Kenya where I talk about some hotels in Nakuru.
Click here to read Part 6 in this series on Kenya where I show you some tourist sites around Nakuru.
Click here to read Part 7 in this series on Kenya where I show you the Castle Without a Princess.
Click here to read Part 8 in this series on Kenya where I feature a collection of scenes from around Nakuru.


Scenic Sunday
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SOOC Saturday
Join Marvellous Mommy for SOOC by clicking the badge above.
Join Murrieta 365 by clicking on the badge above. You'll get to see more lovely photos straight out of the camera.

65 comments:

Diane said...

Fantastic photos Joyful. The antelope that you have not identified looks a bit like in impala but it is not that easy to see it properly. Have a good Sunday. Diane

Jim said...

Fantastic shots.

Yoshi said...

Beautiful scenic photos in Kenya! My favorite one is monkey with a lipstick!
Have a wonderful day.

Gemma Wiseman said...

I slowly wandered through these photos and enjoyed them all! Lovely insight into Kenya!

Joyful said...

Diane, I am delighted that you enjoyed the photos. I wasn't able to get a good capture of the large mammal but I'm thinking it may have been a male gazelle. Hard to say though without snapshots from different angles.

Joyful said...

J Bar, thank you for your visit and your kind words.

Joyful said...

Y. Ikeda, the monkeys are cute, aren't they? So cute too ;-)

Joyful said...

Greyscale Territory, I'm so glad you took the time to visit and meander through my photos. It always warms my heart when people see a bit of Kenya and appreciate it's beauty.

Amy @ Marvelous Mommy said...

I love the zebras!! And I love your header too! Thanks for linking up today!

Teresa said...

I loved seeing these pictures. Beautiful animals!

Jan said...

What a fantastic trip. Thanks for sharing.

Kim, USA said...

Wow I love your photos. Thanks for sharing!
SOOC Sunday

EG CameraGirl said...

Zebras are indeed beautiful animals. I keep going back to look at the young one that's watching you and your camera. And I'm also fascinated by the antelope that appears to be watching you through foliage. I imagine monkeys must be quite a problem because they are so mischievous.

gengen said...

Oh so pretty.. Happy SOOC Sunday...

Linda said...

Ah, you have transported me back to Nakuru National Park! What memories I have of our several stays there--and I have a few wild stories to tell about being there, too. My heart breaks to hear of the wild fire. I'll look on the internet to learn the latest.

Thanks for sharing!

Linda

Jan n Jer said...

Great photos, I feel like I've just been on a safari! Thanks for sharing!

Francisca said...

What a wonderful park visit that must have been. Gorgeous animals! There really is something so majestic about the zebra, isn't there, although the antelope is so pretty too... oh, I could go on. A school mate of mine was born in Kenya and we have talked for decades about going there together... I still dream.

Lynn said...

The shape of African trees always fascinate me.

I love zebras -- watched an hour NG documentary about them. Each zebra has its own unique stripe pattern; a female will not adopt an orphan; a mother will stand in front of a calf after birth for about 12 hours to imprint her stripe pattern. They identify each other by the stripe pattern.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

What a great post. It would be great seeing the animals in their natural state.

Joyful said...

Marvellous Mommy, you're welcome. It was fun ;-) I'm glad you enjoyed the tour.

Joyful said...

Teresa, thank you. I hope you can come again!

Joyful said...

Jan, you're welcome. Thanks for coming!

Joyful said...

Kim, thank you for your kind words and for dropping by!

Joyful said...

EG Wow, thank you for your kind comments. I do love to go back and look at the photos too. I'm glad you enjoyed the baby zebra and other animals. I felt privileged to be able to get some of these shots. The monkeys can indeed be a nuisance to those who live there.

Joyful said...

Thank you Gengen.

Joyful said...

Linda, you've given me a very high compliment. I'd love to hear your wild stories about Nakuru ;-) I'm afraid I haven't found any update on the fire situation and my friends have not mentioned it.

Joyful said...

Casseydab, thank you. I'll pay you a visit!

Joyful said...

Jan n Jer, wonderful! I'm glad you came on safari. Perhaps you'd like to go on safari again soon!

Joyful said...

Francisca, you and your friend really must get to Kenya. Some of the animals are endangered, like the majestic lion. If you get there within a few years you will still see them.

Joyful said...

Lynn, I agree with you about the African trees. That is yet another thing I love about going there. That show you watched sounds absolutely fascinating.

Joyful said...

Yogi, it is indeed. Something to be done in one's lifetime if possible ;-)

Kilauea Poetry said...

Hey, (finally a moment to relax)..the antelope peering out is so cool..I love those zebras!! Used to see them as a child when visiting the San Diego Zoo. Hope she was able to offer that thief an off shade (lol). Are they dangerous? I'd go nuts in a place like this..it would be a treat!
I enjoy those trees..and must of mentioned they look like Albezia's over here that cover the highways in some places..just like lace if you look above. I can't wait to see your water birds! Hope you've had an enjoyable weekend!

Linnea said...

Great collection of shots of a wonderful adventure! I love those towering trees...so unusual - at least for me! Thanks for stopping by.

Dean and Lee Schroeder said...

It's an amazing view of those animals. The zebra's look great. Thanks for sharing!

Joyful said...

KP, I hope you enjoyed your weekend. They do go by so quickly and it seems I am getting less and less done in the same amount of time. Might have something to do with the long winter we are having. I'm glad you enjoyed the animals on the tour so far. I promise, I'm getting to the bird life, lol.

Joyful said...

Linnea, I love the trees too. Thanks for stopping by!

Joyful said...

Hazelicious, zebras are cool ;-) Thanks for your visit.

Unknown said...

Wow, great captures! This looks like such a great experience.

Joyful said...

Thank you for your visit Amy. Going to Kenya is an awesome experience. It just boggles the mind to see what Kenya has to offer.

Unknown said...

What an awesome place to explore!! Funny that the monkey stole the lipstick, lol.

Joyful said...

Lisachaos, thank you for your visit. It was quite funny and cute to watch the antics of the monkey.

Al said...

That looks absolutely incredible!

Joyful said...

Thanks Al! That is very high praise coming from you as I simply love your photos :-)

Usba said...

thank you for sharing:) wonderful photos. how i wish i can visit someday.

Joyful said...

Z Joya, I do hope you get a chance to visit some too! Thanks for visiting my blog.

OtienoHongo said...

Nice photos! I have not seen the baboons and buffaloes. When I was last there they seemed to dominate all other animals in numbers. I spent 4 days with work colleagues staying in the park a few years back, it was quite some fun!!

Joyful said...

Thank you for dropping by Otieno. I have much more to share in the park so come again soon for the baboons and buffaloes ;-) I always enjoy this park so I'm glad you did also.

Eden said...

What a beautiful place to visit! Love all your photos. Thank you for sharing.

Joyful said...

Eden thank you for joining me in Kenya. I hope you will continue on the tour with me as I have more to share in later posts. Happy week ahead :-)

George said...

Thank you for taking us along with you on this safari. It must have been thrilling to see these scenes in person. I'm afraid, however, that if I were there in person I would have taken thousands of pictures.

Susie B. Homemaker said...

Wow, great pictures. I love the ones of the zebras! :)

Joyful said...

George, It was so thrilling for sure to see all these scenes. I did take thousands of pictures but not of only the animals. If I didn't have so much trouble with my digital camera cards and batteries needing recharging all the time I would have ended up taking thousands more, lol.

Joyful said...

Susie B. Homemaker, thanks for your visit. I'm glad you enjoyed the tour and the zebras :-)

Kirigalpoththa said...

Wow..what a fabulous place!

Joyful said...

Kirigalpoththa, thank you so much. I'm happy you enjoyed it. Please come again for more of Kenya in future posts.

Joyful said...

Z Joya, I do hope you get a chance to visit some too! Thanks for visiting my blog.

Joyful said...

Lisachaos, thank you for your visit. It was quite funny and cute to watch the antics of the monkey.

Joyful said...

What a beautiful place to visit! Love all your photos. Thank you for sharing.

Joyful said...

Nice photos! I have not seen the baboons and buffaloes. When I was last there they seemed to dominate all other animals in numbers. I spent 4 days with work colleagues staying in the park a few years back, it was quite some fun!!

Joyful said...

Lynn, I agree with you about the African trees. That is yet another thing I love about going there. That show you watched sounds absolutely fascinating.

Joyful said...

Casseydab, thank you. I'll pay you a visit!

Joyful said...

Marvellous Mommy, you're welcome. It was fun ;-) I'm glad you enjoyed the tour.

Joyful said...

What a wonderful park visit that must have been. Gorgeous animals! There really is something so majestic about the zebra, isn't there, although the antelope is so pretty too... oh, I could go on. A school mate of mine was born in Kenya and we have talked for decades about going there together... I still dream.

Joyful said...

Ah, you have transported me back to Nakuru National Park! What memories I have of our several stays there--and I have a few wild stories to tell about being there, too. My heart breaks to hear of the wild fire. I'll look on the internet to learn the latest.

Thanks for sharing!

Linda

Joyful said...

Y. Ikeda, the monkeys are cute, aren't they? So cute too ;-)

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