Nairobi National Park is a protected area in Kenya that was created in 1946, located about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) south of Nairobi. The park is surrounded by fences on three sides, but the southern edge is open, allowing animals to move between the park and the nearby Kitengela plains. During the dry season, plant-eating animals gather in the park. The park is harmed by growing human and livestock populations, changes in how land is used, and illegal hunting of wildlife. Even though it is close to a city and relatively small, the park has a wide variety of animals and is one of Kenya's most successful places for protecting rhinoceroses.

History

British colonists arrived in the area where Nairobi National Park is located in the late 1800s. At that time, the Athi plains to the east and south of Nairobi had many wild animals. The Maasai people, who moved from place to place, lived and raised their cattle among the wildlife. The Kikuyu people grew crops in the forested areas above Nairobi. As Nairobi grew, with 14,000 people by 1910, more problems happened between humans and animals. People in the city carried guns at night to keep lions away. Over time, animals were slowly moved to the open plains west and south of Nairobi. The colonial government made this area a game reserve. People from Nairobi, including Isak Dinesen, who wrote Out of Africa, rode horses with gazelles, impalas, and zebras in this reserve.

Mervyn Cowie, a conservationist, was born in Nairobi. After returning to Kenya in 1932 after being away for nine years, he was surprised to see that the number of wild animals on the Athi plains had decreased. Farms and livestock had taken over the land where animals once lived. He later said this place was a paradise that was disappearing quickly. At that time, the area that would become Nairobi National Park was part of the Southern Game Reserve. Hunting was not allowed in the reserve, but other activities, such as grazing cattle, dumping waste, and even bombing by the Royal Air Force, were permitted. Cowie began working to create a national park system in Kenya. The government formed a group to study the issue.

Nairobi National Park officially opened in 1946. It was the first national park in Kenya. Maasai herders were moved from their lands when the park was created. Cowie became the director of the park and held this job until 1966. In 1989, Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi burned twelve tons of ivory inside the park. This event helped improve Kenya’s reputation for protecting wildlife.

On March 5, 2024, a Cessna 172 airplane owned by a flying school crashed into the park after colliding with a Dash 8 passenger plane operated by Safarilink Aviation. Both people on the Cessna died in the accident.

Geography

The park spans an area of 117.21 km (45.26 sq mi) and is smaller than most national parks in Africa. The park's altitudes range from 1,533 to 1,760 m (5,030 to 5,774 ft). It has a dry climate. The park is the only protected area within the Athi-Kapiti ecosystem, covering less than 10% of this region. The park contains many different types of habitats and animal species.

The park is located about 7 km (4.3 mi) from Nairobi's center. Electric fences are present along the park's northern, eastern, and western sides. The southern edge of the park is the Mbagathi River, which is not fenced. This boundary connects to the Kitengela Conservation Area (directly south of the park) and the Athi-Kapiti plains. Many large hoofed animals move freely across this open boundary.

Flora

The park's main environment is open grassy areas with a few Acacia bushes. In the western uplands, there is a dry forest with groups of Olea africana, Croton dichogamus, Brachylaena hutchinsii, and Calodendrum trees. The lower slopes of these areas are covered in grassland. Grass species such as Themeda, cypress, Digitaria, and Cynodon grow in these grassland areas. Yellow-barked Acacia xanthophloea trees are also found in scattered locations. Along the permanent river in the southern part of the park, there is a riverine forest. The park also includes areas with broken bush, deep rocky valleys, and gorges. In the valleys, the main plant species are Acacia and Euphorbia candelabrum. Other tree species present include Apodytes dimidiata, Canthium schimperiana, Elaeodendron buchananii, Ficus eriocarpa, Aspilia mossambicensis, Rhus natalensis, and Newtonia species. Several plants that grow on rocky hillsides are found only in the Nairobi area. These include Euphorbia brevitorta, Drimia calcarata, and Murdannia clarkeana.

Fauna

Nairobi National Park is home to many different types of animals. Some of the animals living there include lions, leopards, African buffalo, black rhinoceros, giraffes, hippos, spotted hyenas, African bush elephants, blue wildebeest, plains zebras, cheetahs, Thomson's gazelles, Grant's gazelles, common elands, impalas, hartebeest, waterbucks, common warthogs, olive baboons, black-backed jackals, common ostriches, and Nile crocodiles.

Some animals, like wildebeest and zebras, travel to the Kitengela conservation area and migration corridor near the park to reach the Athi-Kapiti plains. During the rainy season, these animals spread out across the plains, and during the dry season, they return to the park. More animals gather in the park during the dry season because other areas outside the park have less water. Small dams along the Mbagathi River provide more water for the park than these outside areas. These dams also attract animals that need water during the dry season. The park is the northernmost place where animals migrate during the dry season. The park has many types of birds, with up to 500 kinds of birds that live there permanently or visit seasonally. The dams have created a new habitat for birds and water animals.

The David Sheldrick Trust has a sanctuary in the park where they care for baby elephants and rhinos that have lost their parents. These animals are brought to the sanctuary from across Kenya. The sanctuary is near the park's main entrance and was opened in 1963. It was started by Daphne Sheldrick after her husband, David Sheldrick, who worked to stop poaching in Tsavo National Park, passed away. Nairobi National Park is sometimes called Kifaru Ark, which means "Rhinoceros Sanctuary." It is one of Kenya's most successful places for protecting rhinos, and it is one of the few parks where visitors can see black rhinos living in their natural environment.

Conservation

Mervyn Cowie was in charge of creating several of Kenya's national parks. He designed these parks to be welcoming to human visitors. This focus helped make tourism Kenya's main industry. However, it also made problems worse between people and wildlife. Farmers who lived near the parks had no say in how the parks were created. Locals received few benefits from the animals in the parks. Livestock is often attacked by lions, and some landowners believe Kenya's wildlife harms their livelihoods. In 1948, 188,976 people lived in Nairobi, and by 1997, the city's population had grown to 1.5 million. The park faces challenges from the city's growing population and need for farmland. People live close to the park's edges, leading to conflicts between humans and animals. The human population also causes pollution and trash. Waste and factory pollution near the park's northern edge harm the park's water systems.

Treaties with the Maasai in 1904 and 1911 required them to give up their northern grazing lands near Mount Kenya on the Laikipia escarpment. Some of these people were moved to the Kitengela area. The Maasai's way of life did not cause conflicts with wildlife. Today, the former Maasai group-ranches in Kitengela are owned by individuals, and some land has been sold to farmers. Homes, farms, schools, shops, and bars now exist on the Kitengela plains. Some of the park's income is used for community projects to help people living near the park. Many Maasai landowners formed the Kitengela Landowners Association, which works with Kenya's Wildlife Service to protect wildlife and find benefits for local people.

The park and the Athi-Kapiti Plains are connected by the movements of wild herbivores. The plains south of the park are important feeding areas during wet seasons. Before Nairobi was built, animal herds followed the rains and moved from Mount Kilimanjaro to Mount Kenya, similar to the Serengeti migration. As the city grew, the park became the northernmost point of these migrations. Animals can reach their southern grazing areas by traveling through the Kitengela part of the Athi plains. This land is vital for their migration, but human population growth and the need for land threaten to block this route. The park's migratory animals also face challenges from changes in human settlement, fences, and their proximity to Nairobi and other industrial towns. These activities divide their habitats and take over their living spaces.

Since 2005, the protected area has been recognized as a Lion Conservation Unit.

Tourism and education

Nairobi National Park is the most popular place for tourists visiting Nairobi. Attractions include the park's many different types of birds, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and lions. Other highlights are the wildebeest and zebra migrations in July and August, the Ivory Burning Site Monument, and the Nairobi Safari Walk and animal orphanage. People who live in Nairobi visit the park, and thousands of Kenyan students go on school field trips to the park each week.

The park's Wildlife Conservation Education Centre offers lectures and videos about wildlife, as well as guided tours of the park and animal orphanage. These tours are mainly for schools and local communities. Some people have raised concerns about how animals are housed, and now the animals live in larger, more natural spaces. The Kenya Wildlife Service created the Safari Walk to show the variety of plants and animals in Kenya and how they influence Kenya's population.

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