Sunday, March 15, 2015

Rhinos in the Park


These huge rhinos live in Lake Nakuru National Park, in Nakuru, Kenya.

The park is best know for it's thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos. I've posted pictures of flamingos on this blog but my photos do not really do justice to the sheer  number of flamingos in the park. The sight of all the pink birds is just spectacular.




But there are many spectacular things to see in the park and one of them is rhinos. The park is home to about 25 black rhinos and about 70 white rhinos (these numbers are a bit outdated but the population likely hasn't increased all the much).  There are many predators in the park including lions, cheetahs and leopards. When I was there I was lucky enough to see a lion but no cheetah or leopards. Leopards are very difficult to spot no matter where you go. I have been fortunate enough to see cheetahs in the wild but not at Lake Nakuru National Park.


Lake Nakuru is a small, shallow, alkaline body of water which is located on the southern edge of Nakuru.  The waters levels of the lake have been changing quite dramatically in wet and dry seasons in recent times. The reasons are likely multiple:  watershed land conversion to intensive crop production, urban development, industrial waste dumping and climate changes. This is having a negative effect on the flamingo population and no doubt other animals too. This area is heavily dependent on the tourism that the wildlife brings and parks like Lake Nakuru National Park are vital to the protection of animal stocks that are in decline.

Shockingly in 2014, blatant rhino poaching in the park resulted in 5 rhino deaths. Twenty (20) park rangers and several key staff were reassigned for failure to protect the rhinos. It is pity these staff were simply reassigned rather than suspended and investigated. Sadly, I think it is a symptom of a much larger problem in Kenya.

If you appreciate wild animals and want to see them preserved for generations, please give generously to a Rhino conservation fund near you. 

 Joining in with Mosaic Monday this week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you!

Mosaic Monday

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Spectacular creatures. I was worrying about poaching and then got to the point in your post where you mentioned it. I hope they are better protected now.

Unknown said...

Interesting critters. I'm not sure I would call them beautiful, but they're impressive animals. Have a great week!

Stewart M said...

They are big! Hope to get to see some one day.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

Sara - Villa Emilia said...

Beautiful photos!
The last part of your text brought to my mind the painful fact that in Finland we have serious and shameful poaching problems as well. I think, of course, that for instance the wolves have been here much longer than the humans and have the right to be protected.

podso said...

I think they are such interesting animals and so unique looking. They seem docile but I would not want to run into one! Beautiful photos.

EG CameraGirl said...

It's wonderful that you've seen these rhinos up close! A memorable experience, I'm sure!

John's Island said...

Hi Joyful, All I could think of when looking at these photos was Wow! :-) Were you in a vehicle? I would assume so. These are some of the most unusual animals. When I'm trying to place evolution into the whole scheme of things, these rhinos really give me some pause to consider the timeline. :-) Your photos of Africa are so impressive ... and your comments on your experience there make them special ... thank you for sharing. John

Joanne Noragon said...

Lovely photos. I hope you used a very long lens to snap them.

Pamela Gordon said...

Wow, those rhinos are huge! Wonderful photos.

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Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Magnificent beasts and just terrible that they should be poached where they are supposed to be protected.
We're currently protesting the slaughter of wolves from a helicopter which looked more like sport than culling if that's what was intended.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday Sharon.

Rajesh said...

Wonderful shots of rhinos. They have great built.

Anonymous said...

Those rhinos are magnificent!

Linda H said...

Amazing photos of these magnificent creatures. Let's hope they can get better control of the poaching situation. I'd love to see the photos of the huge flocks of flamingos...

Donna said...

Wow these are great pictures and how wonderful to see them in the wild!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

So sad hearing about poaching ... These are such amazing creatures. They are almost prehistoric in appearance, which makes me love them all the more.

Bethany Carson said...

Beautiful to see so many rhinos roaming in their natural environment! Great captures!

psychelyn said...

Those are huge and pretty bulky rhinos. Though covered with mud, they still look amazing. I hope they let them exist just the way they should.

facile et beau - Gusta said...

wow... this pictures take my breath away. Hope they will be protected .

Mary Howell Cromer said...

These are marvelous and it is wonderful seeing them without cage doors behind them. We only see them in local zoos~

Poppy said...

My goodness, you got really close to these amazing animals! So very sad to read about the poaching. Hopefully, things will improve for these wonderful creatures!

Visiting via Mosaic Monday,

Poppy

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