Amboseli National Park, Kenya

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Juvenile Elephant in Amboseli National Park

This park, situated approximately 140kms south of Nairobi on the border with Tanzania, is most famed for its large herds of elephants. Amboseli is the second most popular park in Kenya after Masai Mara, mainly because of the spectacular backdrop of Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, which broods over the southern boundary.

Amboseli means salty dust in the Masai language. The 'salty dust' is volcanic ash from Mount Kilimanjaro eruptions thousands of years ago. During the dry seasons, a curious feature is the shimmering dry lake bed where false mirages of populated horizons, punctuated by real herds of zebras and wildebeests hover in front of visitors. The principal attraction in Amboseli is its vast herds of elephants within the park. The bull elephants here have some of the largest tusks in Kenya.

At 392 km² Amboseli is a small park and lacks the profusion of animal species found in the Mara, but the landscape provides limited cover, so there is good chance of seeing some of the larger predators. The vegetation used to be much denser, but rising salination, damage by elephants and irresponsible behaviour by safari vehicle owners has caused terrible erosion.

Buffaloes, lions, gazelles, wildebeest, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, warthogs, zebras, Masai giraffes and baboons are all present, but the last few black rhinos were moved to Tsavo West in 1995 after a sustained period of poaching. In the permanent swamps of Enkongo Narok and Olokenya, large elephant herds can be seen grazing with Kilimanjaro in the background - this is probably the definitive Kenyan wildlife photo.

Amboseli is an important rangeland in Masai culture. The ranch areas outside the park offer a wealth of game viewing and walking safaris. The Kenya Wildlife Community Service works closely with the local elders to develop eco-tourism attractions which benefit the indigenous communities and protect this fragile eco-system.