The pink birds (Flamingoes) of Lake Nakuru national Park : One of the most famous or well known national parks in kenya is lake nakuru national Park .Nakuru is a Maasai word which means the place of the dust-storms, pronounced as Nakurro is in reference to the characteristically barren scrublands around the Lake Nakuru basin. The same may refer to the winds that frequently whirl around the enclave, engulfing it with clouds of dust. It is one of the most visited parks in kenya after Maasai mara ,Tsavo and Amboseli national parks.Lake Nakuru National park under Kenya wildlife service ( KWS) is situated south of Nakuru Town in Nakuru county 157km away from Nairobi Kenya.The national park covers an area of 188km² and it is one of the UNESCO world heritage site because of its Flamingoes and wildlife.The Lake is alkaline which attracts birds and wildlife to its shores and because of that it is one of the most visited safaris destinations. Lake Nakuru nakuru national park was greatly affected by the covid 19 pandemic in 2020 ,where it recorded the lowest ever tourist.It is during this year that most of the lakes in the Rift Valley regions bursted their banks,increasing greatly in size nearly by double its initial size submerging buildings in the settlements around the lake.
Birds of Lake Nakuru national parks
The number of the Flamingos on the Lake Nakuru is further affected by the alkalinity of the lake, in that when the alkaline levels are high the blue algae on the Lake also become high and the attracts more flamingos to the Lake however, when the alkaline levels drop, the algae where the flamingos depend on also drop and this caused the flamingos to migrate to other soda lakes like lake Bogoria in Baringo county to search for food. This means that the alkalinity level plays an important part in the levels of flamingos on the Lake.
The Flamingoes can be seen on the lake shore all throughout the day,month and year on the shore feeding on the algae which according to most kenya safaris tours,the best place to view the birds is in Baboon cliff.There are also other species of birds like the yellow- billed pelicans,Marabou storks, African fish Eagle, goliath herons, hamerkop,pied kingfisher and over 400 species of birds.
The National park has very established modernised road network making it accessible by 2 wheel drive vehicles with some view points Hills requiring a 4 wheel drive vehicles.
ENTRANCE FEE
The park entrance rates are valid for 24 hours for visitors staying inside the park and 12 hours for those staying outside the park.
Citizens ksh 860
Residents ksh 1030
Non residents USD60
Residents are defined as foreigners who are residents in the country and in this case they are foreigners who are staying in Kenya. These residents pay entrance fees of Kshs 1,030 at Lake Nakuru national park. Nonresidents are foreigners who come from their home countries to Kenya and citizens refer to the Kenyan citizens. They pay entrance fees of USD60 while nonresident children/students pay entrance fees of USD35 at Lake Nakuru national park.Citizens visiting Lake Nakuru national park consists of Kenyans with valid national identifications cards or passports as well as citizens of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with valid passports. They pay entrance fees of 860 Kenya shillings(KSH) and children/students pay KSH 215.
All payments are in cashless modes that are:
- M pesa
- Visa cards
- Mastercard
4 . Direct deposit to Kenya wildlife service kws Bank account.
ACCOMMODATION AROUND LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
There are two loges inside the park for the Kenya tour safaris lovers that is Lake Nakuru Lodge and sarova lion Hill game Lodge around lion Hill overlooking lake nakuru both offering natural game drives.There are other wonderful kenya safaris accommodation facilities available at Nakuru town ranging from midrange, budget to the most luxurious. Some of them are ;Merica hotel,Midlands hotel,Bontana hotel,Cathay hotel, waterbuck hotel etc, The pink birds (Flamingoes) of Lake Nakuru national Park
Best time to visit lake nakuru national park
The national park is accessible throughout the year with the ideal peak season according to most tour safaris being the dry season during the months of July, August, September, December January and February.The national park is fully fence and because of that the animals won’t disperse .
The national park operating hours are 06.00hrs to 18. 00hrs.No entry is allowed on foot and hiking is only allowed in designated area by Kenya wildlife service ranger.
Why you should visit lake nakuru national Park
If you are a Kenya wildlife life lover this is a perfect place to visit for a wonderful wildlife experience. The lake has a wonderful pink population of Flamingoes, spectacular landscapes, grasslands with acacia trees, hills and rocky viewpoints and it is also home to some of the most endangered species like the Rothschild Giraffes, White Rhinoceros and also a home to the biggest population of black Rhinoceros in Kenya.
Other animals found at lake nakuru national park
Lake nakuru national park is home to four of the famous Big five animals with the elephant being the missing one.This is because of the electric fence the park doesn’t have elephants; elephants move a lot as part of their survival and the fence limits that .The lions ,Buffaloes, Rhinoceros,and Leopards. It is also hosts waterbucks, impalas, zebras,Giraffes, vervet monkey, Baboons, spotted hyenas, Hippopotamus,warthogs among other wildlife.
Items to carry along during your visit to lake nakuru national park
- CAMERA – Because of its beautiful scenic landscape ,grasslands and booming wildlife a camera is worth it.
- Sunglasses- To protect the eyes from too much direct sunlight
- Sunscreen – to protect the skin from sunburns.
In recent years lake Nakuru national park has attracted fame for the high number of leopard sightings, and the rare Rothschild’s giraffe. Its acacia and forests are havens for animals during the heat of the day, several herds of buffaloes can be spotted in their numbers either grazing or relaxing under the tree shades making lake Nakuru national park an excellent wildlife-viewing destination in Kenya, while the hippo pool is a favourite spot for picnics
