Rift Valley Wildlife & Flamingos
Central Highlands & Rift Valley, Kenya
Lake Nakuru provides the visitor with one of Kenya’s best known images. Thousands of flamingo, joined into a massive flock, fringe the shores of this soda lake. A pulsing pink swathe of life that carpets the water, the flamingo are a breathtaking sight.
Nakuru is a major National Park and an important sanctuary for rhino. Both Black and White Rhino are found here, and are often seen resting under acacias by the Lake shore. There’s also buffalo, zebra, rare Rothschild giraffe and other plains game. Lion are often seen, as are leopards, resting in trees under the Baboon Cliffs.
Background
Nakuru means ‘place of the waterbuck’ and is well named, there are very large herds all around the Lake. Nakuru is a rich source of prehistoric fossils, proving that humans have lived here for at least the past 200,000 years. The archeological site at Hyrax Hill outside Nakuru is well maintained and open to the public. This site was unearthed by Louis Leakey in the 1920’s and ever since has been a rich source of Neolithic fossils, tools, and Iron Age artefacts.
Nakukru is Maasai land. Maasai traditionally graze their herds on the grasslands between Nakuru, Elmenteita, and Naivasha. The town of Nakuru sprang to life around the construction of the Uganda Railroad, making this a centre for the colonial settlers.
Today Nakuru town is a growing urban centre with a surprisingly cosmopolitan population.