Lake Nakuru National Park, is located about two hours drive north of Nairobi. It is one of the soda lakes in the Great Rift Valley. It is home to a large variety of birds, as well as large animals, including Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique), Southern White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc), Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli, german: Spitzmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros noir), and a few Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius, german: Flusspferd, french: Hippopotame amphibie).
The word "White" in the name "Southern White Rhinoceros" is a mistranslation of the Dutch word "weit" for wide, referring to its square upper lip, as opposed to the pointed lip of the Eastern Black Rhinoceros. And the Black Rhino isn't really black, it is grey.
White Rhinos eat grasses. They tend to be more in the open grasslands. Black Rhinos browse on leaves and are more reclusive, found mostly in wooded areas. I saw only white rhinos.
There are predators in the park, but I didn't see any. But seeing rhinos was much more important for me, I had seen enough lions and leopards in Maasai Mara and Serengeti, and on a previous trip to the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Lake Nakuru is especially know for its flamingo population. It also has a large population of pelicans. Unfortunately, most of the flamingos were at Lake Elmenteita, a second soda lake a few kilometers to the south, so I saw only a fairly small number of them.
It is a small National Park, but very interesting to visit, especially because of the rhinos and the flamingos.
Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique) and Grant's Zebras (Equus quagga boehmi, german: Steppenzebra, french: Zèbre de Grant). (943k) View of Lake Nakuru National Park with Cape Buffalo, Grant's Zebra, and Marabou Stork. In the right front is the carcass of a buffalo. On the right are Yellow Fever Trees (Vachellia xanthophloea, german: Gelbrinden-Akazie, french: Arbre à fièvre). (903k) Eastern Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère). (1088k) Eastern Warthog. (1046k) Thomson's Gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii, german: Thomson-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Thomson), with black stripes in front of Lake Nakuru. (832k) Southern Grant's Gazelle male (Nanger granti granti, german: Südliche Grant-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Grant). (1306k) Close-up of Southern Grant's Gazelle male. (1351k) Common Impala herd (Aepyceros melampus melampus, german: Schwarzfersenantilope, french: Impala). (1165k) Common Impala harem, with the male guarding the females. (889k) Male Common Impala (Aepyceros melampus melampus, german: Schwarzfersenantilope, french: Impala). He was the leader of his harem. (1215k) Male (center) and female Defassa Waterbucks (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, german: Defassa-Wasserbock, french: Cobe à croissant). (920k) Defassa Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, german: Defassa-Wasserbock, french: Cobe à croissant). (1358k) Defassa Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, german: Defassa-Wasserbock, french: Cobe à croissant). (1038k) Close-up of a Grant's Zebra (Equus quagga boehmi, german: Steppenzebra, french: Zèbre de Grant). (802k) Hilgert's Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus hilgerti, german: Südliche Grünmeerkatze, french: Vervet bleu). (748k) Olive Baboon (Papio anubis, german: Anubispavian, french: Babouin olive). (972k) Eastern African Black-backed Jackals (Lupulella mesomelas schmidti, german: Schabrackenschakal, french: Chacal à chabraque). (617k) Male Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique). (752k) Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius, german: Flusspferd, french: Hippopotame amphibie) with Yellow-billed Storks (Mycteria ibis, german: Nimmersatt, french: Tantale ibis). (738k) Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, french: Girafe de Rothschild). They can be distinguished from the Masai Giraffe by the white knee socks. (757k) Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, french: Girafe de Rothschild). (1289k) Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, french: Girafe de Rothschild). (1075k) Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, french: Girafe de Rothschild). (1061k) Close-up of Rothschild's Giraffe. (713k) Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc). (569k) Southern White Rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc) and Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique) resting in the shade. (801k) Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc). (809k) Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc). (1107k) Close-up of Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc). (904k)
Miscellaneous
Extinct volcano in the Great Rift Valley between Nairobi and Lake Nakuru. (661k) View of Lake Nakuru. (698k) Yellow Fever Tree (Vachellia xanthophloea, german: Gelbrinden-Akazie, french: Arbre à fièvre). (759k) Umbrella Thorn (Vachellia tortilis, german: Schirmakazie, french: Acacia faux-gommier). (674k) Tree Euphorbia (Euphorbia candelabrum, french: Euphorbe candélabre). (910k) Flamboyant Tree (Delonix regia, german: Flammenbaum, french: Flamboyant). (1075k) Flower. (779k)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
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