One hundred and seventeen square kilometers of green space filled with wildlife is found right outside the centre of Kenya’s capital.
I had heard so much about the Nairobi National Park, a historic site located about 7km from the bustling central business district of Nairobi.
And so, when I travelled to Kenya, it was almost a must that I pass by the oldest Park of the country to see for myself everything I have read and seen about it – such an experience it was, and I am glad to share!
‘Karibu’ (Swahili word that means welcome to) Nairobi National Park, an area lying over 5,000-6,000 feet (1,500-1,800 metres) above sea level.
It has a backdrop of the city scrapers, with scattered acacia bush playing host to a variety of wildlife.
The pleasant climate and numerous green spaces have made the Nairobi National Park a unique destination for visitors, with over 100 mammal species, having four of the big five (lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino) and other species like zebra, giraffe and antelope.
At the entrance, I was greeted by an iconic statue of a soldier and monkeys playing around unperturbed.
The stunning views and the fresh air whipped up my curiosity; I joined some tourists to embark on the safari walk.
“I can see antelopes and zebras over there,” a local tourist said while asking me, “are the animals present in Ghana?”
I hesitated to spoil the mood. Being my first time, I could not begin the observation by answering questions.
But just behind was a hippopotamus grazing; interesting!
Great climbers and jumpers! We met the King Colobus Monkeys and the rhino, one of the endangered species.
Talk of zebras, antelopes, ostriches and they are all in the Nairobi National Park!
“It’s been interesting, and I have seen quite a number of animals. I’ve seen a hippopotamus, a rhino, zebras and of course the big cats – lions.”
“So, that has been fun; that has been great. I didn’t think that animals could live in a city so that’s the most fascinating thing,” a South African tourist, Martin Matshidze, told TV3’s Christian Yalley.
It is a beautiful wide open but mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem of savanna. The Nairobi National Park is known for its pristine and vast forests.
Managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Nairobi National Park attracts millions of local and foreign visitors annually.
Tourists and visitors enjoy exploring its lands and waters and experiencing its wildlife.
I had another awesome sight as I encountered a lion and a lioness who were obviously in their mating period.
“The scenery here in Nairobi is so beautiful. I have come here multiple times, but every time I come here [Nairobi National Park], it is so beautiful,” Viney Gisore is a Kenyan tourist.
“This Park is endowed with different varieties of creatures. I invite you [anyone reading this] to explore the extensive and vast nature of the Park,” another tourist, Elijah Peter noted.
A green oasis – Nairobi’s world only wildlife capital has had its fair share of threats like pollution, human-wildlife conflict among others.
Currently, there is no elephant in the park so only statues are seen at the entrance.
“Nairobi rightfully deserves that name because we are a green city that is full of biodiversity, but this is under immense threat,” Nickson Otieno from Niko Green, a sustainability consulting firm, told EuroNews.
“Some years back, we had an incident where we had lions walking on the streets.”
“That tells us actually we have to rethink how we coexist, how we develop our infrastructure while at the same time conserving the rich nature that we have had as a city,” he added.
But it is interesting how this huge site has been maintained in the centre of the capital since it was gazetted in December 1964.
Give me another opportunity and I will return to Kenya to explore more of nature and wildlife.
The post Nairobi National Park: A green oasis first appeared on 3News.
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