CLOSE-UP WITH WILDLIFE IN NAIROBI, KENYA: Part 2, Nairobi National Park, Guest Post by Humberto Gutierrez Rivas

Rhinos and Cattle Egrets, Nairobi National Park, Kenya

With many thanks to Humberto Gutierrez Rivas for his report and terrific photos of his family's trip to Kenya last January. His post about their wildlife experiences near Nairobi is in three parts, the first appearing last week, Part 2 today, and Part 3 next week.

This past January our family had the trip of a lifetime to Kenya for 12 days to visit friends in Nairobi, go on safari, and visit the island of Lamu.  There were many highlights of this trip, and one that got it started happened right there in the city of Nairobi.  

Less than 8 hours after our arrival, we were met at the front door of our friends’ house by Amos, our guide, and his safari van.  Our friends had coordinated a day expedition for us to Nairobi’s National Park, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage center, and Giraffe Center.

Amos drove us from the north to the south part of the city to get us to the park, so we also got to see the early morning activities of people walking to bus stops, walking to work, and opening shops along the road.

Nairobi National Park

Grey-crowned crane in the park grassland.

After leaving the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, we headed for the entrance to Nairobi National Park. The park was created in 1946 and is almost the size of San Francisco. It’s fenced on the sides that border with the city and is open to the southwest to allow the movement of animals during migration.

Nile crocodiles sunbathe on the shores of the park lagoon.

Soon after we entered the park’s main gate, Amos raised the roof of the van so that we could stand and be on the lookout for animals in the open and not from behind the windows.  There are no bathrooms or housing structures inside the park--just dirt roads. At that point, I realized that the only thing between us and the animals is the chassis of the van. It’s a truly immersive experience, but at times you are reminded that the park is close to the city when you see in the background the city buildings. 

Black-headed heron and Nile crocodile rest on the lagoon sandbank.

Hartebeest.

Nobody is allowed to get out of the van. Amos drove around the park and called out and directed our attention to different animals roaming and resting in their natural environment.  

Impala.

Masai giraffe.

Although we didn’t get to see lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and elephants, we enjoyed many other animals. 

Ivory burning site and mound of burned ivory. 2016 was the last ceremonial burning, with more than 100 tons of ivory.

We spent most of the day at the park, and on our way out of the park to visit the giraffe center, we stopped at the Ivory Burning Site.  It’s a memorial site dedicated to Kenya's commitment to conservation and to end ivory trade by burning confiscated elephant and rhino ivory. Ivory has been burned several times since 1989, and now you can see the mounds of ivory ashes left behind from these burnings. It truly brings to focus the role of conservation.