Common Animals in Lake Nakuru National Park
Common Animals in Lake Nakuru National Park : Lake Nakuru national park is a beautiful wildlife haven in Kenya situated on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru national park is listed among the best wildlife national parks in Kenya popular for hosting a huge population of endangered Rhinos that is black and white rhinos and Rothschild giraffes.
Lake Nakuru national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting Lake Nakuru hosting a huge population of pink flamingoes, Lake Nakuru is one of the rift valley lakes in Kenya and one of the main tourist attractions in the park and one of the best spot to see wildlife in the park.
Lake Nakuru National park hosts over 50 mammal species thriving in the savannah vegetation, the rare euphorbia forest with a mixture of the acacia woodlands, Lake Nakuru is famous for the endangered black and white rhinos, 4 of the 5 big Five “buffaloes, lions, rhinos and leopards” and huge population of flamingoes. Lake Nakuru national park hosts about 100 – 150 rhino individuals with 80% of them being white rhinos and the rest black rhinos. The park is also a great destination for excellent sightings of leopards and other nocturnal animals.
Because of the population of rhinos in Lake Nakuru National Park, the park is recognized as a Rhino Sanctuary, currently there is a total of 150 rhinos “both white and black rhinos” thriving in the savannah plains of Lake Nakuru National Park. The park was established purposely to protect the endangered rhinos whose numbers where declining due to rampant poaching as they used to kill them for their horns and meat which is on high demand on the black markets in countries of China and Thailand, to provide protection to the rhinos the park is fenced with an electric fence so as the rhinos can wander off in the wilderness. Because of the electric fence, there are no elephants in Lake Nakuru national park as they are known for their ever moving nature for survival and the fence would put limits on them.
Common Animals in Lake Nakuru National Park include rhinos (black and white rhinos), Rothschild giraffes, cape buffaloes, olive baboons, impalas, waterbucks, hippos, colobus monkeys, spotted hyenas, zebras, gazelles, leopards, lions, pythons among others.
Rothschild giraffe is another remarkable wildlife species in Lake Nakuru national park, the Rothschild giraffe was introduced into the park in 1980s and luckily these animals became an indigenous species of the park.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a home to abundant wildlife, however some of the common animals found in the park which you should not miss during your Kenya wildlife safari are as below
Black and white rhinos
Rhinos are endangered animals and part of the big Five animals of the wild, rhinos are also one of the most sough for animals on an African safari as well as a safari in Lake Nakuru national park. Rhinos are categorized as black and white rhinos and they are both found in Lake Nakuru national park which one of the few areas in the country to see them.
Lake Nakuru national park is one of the best places to see both black and white rhinos in Kenya as well as Africa, the black rhinos are common in East and South Africa, though the black rhinos are called black, their color actually varies between brown and grey. The signature feature of the black rhinos is their pointed or hooked upper lip.
Though white rhinos are called white, their color varies between brown and grey, their name white originates from the misinterpretation of the Dutch word “Wijd” which was used to describe the Rhino’s square upper lip which is wide.
Udder the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), rhinos are listed as critically endangered with the black rhinos classified as near threatened.
Rothschild giraffe
Rothschild giraffes are listed among the most endangered giraffe species in the world, these giraffes are distinguished from other giraffes by its coat coloring that has a pale orange – brown patches, the Rothschild giraffe has 5 assicones on the head compared to other giraffe.
Giraffes inhabit in savannah grasslands and feed on lush grass and tree stems, Lake Nakuru National Park offer excellent sightings of Rothschild giraffe all year-round.
Cape buffalo
Cape buffaloes are common animals in Lake Nakuru national park and one of the most sought for wildlife species on an African safari, Cape buffaloes are part of the Big Five. These animals are known to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa with a possibility of killing more than 100 people a year and trampling them, the cape buffaloes are known for their prominent horns that have fussed bases with a continuous bone shield on the head referred as “Boss”.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a perfect destination to see cape buffaloes as it provides perfect habitat for them because of the daily supply of water from Lake Nakuru and open woodlands.
Hippos “Hippopotamus”
Hippos are large semi-aquatic mammals and the 3rd largest land mammals, the hippos are herbivore mainly surviving in rivers, swamps and lakes. In Lake Nakuru national park, the waters of Lake Nakuru are a perfect habitat for hippos and they can be seen throughout the year.
Waterbuck
Waterbucks are other common animals in Lake Nakuru National Park, waterbucks are the largest species of the 6 species of Kobus. These animals are social sedentary mammals known for living in savannah grasslands near water bodies as they cannot endure dehydration.
Waterbucks feed on grass and drink a lot of water per day, waterbucks are of a robust build with a shaggy coat ranging from reddish brown to grey as they age the coat becomes progressively darker.
Waterbucks in Lake Nakuru National park are easily seen around Lake Nakuru throughout the year.
In conclusion, animals in Lake Nakuru national park can be sighted all year round on game viewing experience, because the park is fenced, sightings of these animals is guaranteed.
