"One of the most enchanting places to visit is certainly Kenya, in the heart of Africa, which with its breathtaking views, parks and nature reserves, offers its visitors unique emotions".
In 1989, an amendment to the Wildlife Act gave birth to the parastatal organism Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). It is established on the basis of a law of Parliament Cap 376 (Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (1989 amendment) mandated to conserve and manage wildlife in Kenya and to enforce related laws and regulations. Manages the country's biodiversity, protecting and conserving flora and fauna The National Parks are managed by the KWS Corps of National Ranger.
- National Park: activities are prohibited, among others: hunting, possessing weapons or traps, cutting, damaging or setting fire to vegetation, collecting, or attempting to collect honey or beeswax, damaging or removing any geological element , prehistoric, archaeological, marine or of scientific interest, introduce animal or vegetable species, till and cultivate the soil, deliberately disturb animals and catch, or attempt to catch fish without authorization.
TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK
“Theatre of the Wild”
With a total area of 21,812 sq km, Tsavo is the largest natural park in the country. The park was established in April 1948 and in May of this year it was divided for administrative purposes into Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park.
The sight of dust-red elephant wallowing, rolling and spraying each other with the midnight blue waters of palm-shaded Galana River is one of the most evocative images in Africa. This, along with the 300 kilomters long Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world, make for an adventure unlike any other in the Tsavo East. The park forms the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of dust –red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodile, waterbucks, lesser Kudu, gerenuk and the prolific bird life features 500 recorded species.
TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK
“Land of Lava, Springs, Man-Eaters & Magical Sunsets”
From the sight of fifty million gallons of crystal clear water gushing out of from the under parched lava rock that is the Mzima Springs to the Shetani lava flows, Tsavo West is a beautiful, rugged wilderness. The savannah ecosystem comprises of open grasslands, scrublands, and Acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation and rocky ridges including the Poacher's Lookout where visitors can see the teeming herds in the plains below.
Tsavo West offers some of the most magnificent game viewing in the world and attractions include elephant, rhino, Hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler.
AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
“Home of the African Elephant”
Crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, the Amboseli National Parks is one of Kenya's most popular parks. The name "Amboseli" comes from a Maasai word meaning "salty dust", and it is one of the best places in Africa to view large herds of elephants up close. Nature lovers can explore five different habitats here ranging from the dried-up bed of Lake Amboseli, wetlands with sulphur springs, the savannah and woodlands.
The dominant vegetation of the park is the shrub savannah, which surrounds the whole area and in which the most representative species belong to the Acacia genera, Commiphora and Boswellia. They can also visit the local Maasai community who live around the park and experience their authentic culture.
NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK
“The World’s only Wildlife Capital”
The Nairobi National Park is a protected natural area in Kenya, with a total extension of 117 km². Located about 10 km from the center of Nairobi, it is a rather rare example of a National Park in the immediate vicinity of a large city.
Wide open grass plains and backdrop of the city scrapers, scattered acacia bush play host to a wide variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Visitors can enjoy the park’s picnic sites, three campsites and the walking trails for hikers.
Among the mammals, there are four of the Big Five in the park: the lion, the leopard, the black rhino and the buffalo; the elephant is absent.
MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK
“Come touch the Sky”
Climbing to 5,199 meters, Mount Kenya is the second tallest mountain in Africa. The scenery surrounding this designated World Heritage Site is breath-taking. It is pristine wilderness with lakes, tarns, glaciers, dense forest, mineral springs and a selection of rare and endangered species of animals, high altitude adapted plains game and unique montane and alpine vegetation. Visitors can enjoy mountain climbing, camping and caving with the mountain’s rugged glacier-clad peaks providing the perfect backdrop.
At a lower altitude, the most common animals on the trees are Colobus and other monkeys, while on the ground, in addition to elephants, there are numerous Ilocheri (mammals of the Suidae family) and buffaloes. On the other hand, the mountain Bongo is very rare.
NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
“A beautiful wildlife haven”
On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking,picnic and game drives. The park preserves a habitat that is considered one of the most important sites in the world for feeding the lesser flamingo (Phoenicopter minor).
The park has a very high biodiversity, consisting of 70 species of mammals, 400 species of birds and over 200 species of plants. The Park is home to the White Rhino which causes poaching is considered an endangered species.
MERU NATIONAL PARK
“Complete Wilderness”
Brilliant on a magnificent scale, the Meru and Kora sister parks feature luxuriant jungle, coursing rivers, verdant swamp, khaki grasslands and gaunt termite cathedrals all under the sky’s great blue bowl. Little visited and utterly unspoilt, few places are comparable to the remote and rugged atmosphere found here. Visitors can see Grevy's zebras, elephants, Bohor reedbucks, hartebeests, pythons, puff adders, cobras, buffalos and more than 427 recorded species of birds.
During the 1950s, the park housed the two conservationists Joy and George Adamson. Their exemplary story about the reintroduction of the lioness Elsa into the natural environment was made famous by the book and film "Born Free", mostly shot in this Park.
INFINITE AND UNCONTAMINATED SPACES
