Mount Kenya National Park is a protected area in Kenya that was created in 1949 near Mount Kenya to help protect the area's environment and animals. It also helps collect and move water for the region's water supply.

History

At first, the area was a forest reserve. Later, it was declared a national park. Now, the national park is surrounded by the forest reserve. In April 1978, the area was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In 1997, the national park and forest reserve together became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Government of Kenya created a national park around Mount Kenya for four reasons. These included the importance of tourism for local and national economies, preserving a place with beautiful scenery, protecting the variety of plants and animals in the park, and keeping the area where water is collected safe for the nearby region.

Area

Mount Kenya National Park covers an area of 715 km (276 sq mi), with most of the land located above the 3,000 m (9,800 ft) elevation line. The forest reserve nearby spans 705 km (272 sq mi). Together, these areas form the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which totals 1,420 km (550 sq mi).

The presence of volcanic soil in the surrounding region and the large amount of fresh water flowing down the mountain slopes make the area well-suited for farming.

Fauna

A small part of the park's edge near areas with many people has electric fences to keep elephants away from nearby farmland. At lower elevations, black-and-white colobus monkeys, other monkey species, and Cape buffaloes are often found. In 1993, a very large male lion weighing 272 kg (600 pounds) was shot near the mountain.