A view from the top of the Great Rift Valley looking down at Lake Nakuru where a lone bull Cape Buffalo, Syncerus caffer, is standing rather forlornly, while birds in a flock of (mostly) Lesser Flamingo, Phoeniconaias minor, are feeding in the soda lake.
Lake Nakuru lies north-west of Nairobi, near the city of Nakuru. The lake is protected by the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, and is surrounded by a National Park of 73 mi2/188 km2. The National Park was established in 1961 to protect the lake, but its area has increased considerably since then and now encompasses the surrounding areas of savannah and forest.
Although the main attraction is the ‘sea of pink’ from the flamingoes, Lake Nakuru National Park holds 56 mammal species, including introduced Rhinos. Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the park. Overall, it is a very interesting park to visit.
The flamingoes come and go up and down the Rift Valley lakes according to the water levels. After a period of eight years when the flamingoes had moved to Lake Baringo because of high water levels, large numbers were recorded again in 2020.
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