Lake Nakuru National Park was established in 1961. It now covers an area of 180km² (69.5 square miles) and is situated in the Great Rift Valley – 156km northwest of Nairobi in the Nakuru district of the Rift Valley Province. The park is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.Lake Nakuru is a large, shallow lake surrounded by marshes, woodland and grassland. There are some rocky outcrops and the largest euphorbia forest in Africa on the eastern side. The lake is fed by three main rivers; the Njoro, the Makalia and the Enderitrivers, as well as several springs.
The park has very good roads and some excellent viewpoints overlooking the lake from Baboon Cliff and Lion Hill.The lake supports the blue-green Cyanophyte Spirulina Platensis, which is the main food source for the brilliant pink flamingoes that can be found wading on the lake’s edge. At times, there can be up to two million greater and lesser flamingoes and tens of thousands of other birds. Food conditions change periodically, and the number of birds fluctuates at times so, if possible, you should check with the national park before making a long journey to view the birds.
It is also a good idea to carry a spotter’s guide to identify the many animals and Kenya birds you will see here.Lake Nakuru National Park also offers sanctuary to huge numbers of native African animals including waterbucks, warthogs, impalas, buffalo, Rothschild giraffes, elands, endangered black rhinos, white rhinos and, occasionally, leopards. A large herd of hippos have a territory in the northern part of the lake, making for interesting game viewing.
The Great Rift Valley is home to a diversity of animals and birdlife. There is an abundance of plains game and nocturnal animals, such as aardvark, civet, serval, leopard and striped hyena. Cheetah, lion and elephant are found in the swamp and grassy plains.
Other wildlife in the area includes buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, eland, gazelle and many more. Much of the topography in the area was shaped by volcanic movement of the Great Rift Valley, which adds to the spectacular scenery.
Lake Nakuru National Park is renowned as a bird sanctuary with over 400 bird species, including huge flocks of flamingoes and many other water birds
The climate around the lake ranges from cool to hot and humid. The annual rainfall is 965mm which is lower than many other parts of Kenya. The wettest months are March to May and October to December, but even at these times it is not as rainy as other areas.
