Facts About Nairobi National Park

Facts About Nairobi National Park

Facts About Nairobi National Park: Nairobi National Park is a remarkable Kenya safari destination, one of a kind as it is the only national park found in a capital city. The park is located just 7 meters from the center of Nairobi City, making it the most accessible park in Kenya, perfect for day safaris. Here you can spot the critically endangered rhinos and big cats like lions and leopards against a backdrop of downtown skyscrapers, or see giraffes from your window seat as you land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

As a visitor planning a safari to Kenya, here are the top 10 facts about Nairobi National Park to know.

1. Nairobi National Park is the closest national park to a capital city in the world.

Just 7 km away from the center of Nairobi City, Nairobi National Park is one of the main attractions in Kenya, as well as the city, with diverse wildlife—hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and lions—as well as birds as its main attractions.

Nairobi National Park is a one-of-a-kind safari destination, as it is the only national park in the world found within the city. In addition to diverse wildlife and birdlife, other attractions in Nairobi National Park include the Ivory Burning Site Monument and the Nairobi Safari Walk and Animal Orphanage.

2. Nairobi National Park is the oldest park in Kenya

Gazetted as a protected area in 1946, Nairobi National Park is the oldest national park in Nairobi. The park is open and only fenced off on the areas closest to the city—Nairobi City, the capital of Kenya.

Nairobi grew as a city in the 20^th century, which resulted in intense conflicts between humans and animals. The residents in the city would walk with weapons for protection from wild animals, most especially at night. Animals like zebras would ruin and destroy vegetable gardens and flower beds.

Since the animals moved into the city from the west and south of Nairobi, the then-colonial government set that side of the area as a game reserve.

3. The Park hosts abundant wildlife and bird species

Nairobi National Park is a sanctuary to abundant wildlife and bird species, including over 600 species of birds, with about 500 of them being permanent and migratory species. Birds in Nairobi National Park include the lilac-breasted roller, superb starling, Hartlaub’s turaco, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, African paradise flycatcher, violet-backed starling, common fiscal, white-browed robin chat, secretary bird, martial eagle, bateleur eagle, black kite, African fish eagle, yellow-billed stork, African sacred ibis, marabou stork, African Spoonbill and Egyptian goose, among others.

Nairobi National Park is home to a wide range of wildlife species, including buffaloes, lions, leopards, zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests and several other wildlife species thriving in the open plains of the park.

4. Nairobi National Park is home to an elephant orphanage.

Nairobi National Park is home to the famous elephant orphanage—the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage a rehabilitation and rearing center for orphaned baby elephants founded in 1977. The nursery cares for the young elephants, including hand-rearing them until they are old enough to be gradually introduced back to the wild in Tsavo East National Park and other protected areas of Kenya.

To access the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and feed the elephants, visitors pay an entry fee of USD 20 per person for both adults and children. Visiting timings at Sheldrick are 11 am to 12 pm daily (1 hour).

5. Nairobi National Park is home to four of the Big Five

Nairobi National Park is home to four of the Big Five—lion, leopard, cape buffaloes and rhinos—which are among the wildlife attractions in the park, best sighted during game drives. Other wildlife species to see in Nairobi National Park are giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, elands and diverse birdlife, with over 500 species recorded.

6. Nairobi National Park hosts the highest number black rhinos in Kenya

Nairobi National Park hosts the highest numbers of black rhinos in Kenya and during the game drive, you will not miss spotting them.

Nairobi National Park is a rhino sanctuary with 76 indigenous black rhinos and 13 white rhinos. These endangered wildlife species were transferred here for protection from poachers and Nairobi National Park is one of the best places to see rhinos on a Kenya safari.

7. There are no elephants in Nairobi National Park

Unfortunately, there are no elephants in Nairobi National Park. Together with Lake Nakuru National Park, they are the only national parks in Kenya with no elephants. These fascinating animals were moved from Nairobi National Park as a way of reducing human–wildlife conflict.

The other four members of the Big Five—lion, leopard, cape buffalo and rhinos—are present in Nairobi National Park and can be seen during the game drives.

8. There is tented camp in Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park has only one unique accommodation—the Nairobi Tented Camp, a perfect place to stay for those that would like to experience the city at the same time.  This camp is the first of its kind to be allowed to operate in this unique safari destination.

The tented camp has 9 tents hosting 2 people each; they are self-contained with toilets and showers, offering you a wilderness escape where you can savor the thrill of camping in the heart of thick bushland right on the doorstep of Nairobi.

9. There are two animal sanctuaries within Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park hosts two animal sanctuaries: the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (Elephant Orphanage) and the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.

• The Nairobi Animal Orphanage is a world-renowned center for its efforts in nurturing orphaned, aged, injured and abandoned wildlife. Also, it is a conservation hub for schools, higher learning institutions and the public. Conservation education conducted here is an effort to foster and rally Kenyans and the public at large to take part and contribute to the conservation of Kenya’s wildlife heritage for the present and future generations and for the world.
• The Elephant Orphanage—Also known as the Sheldrick Trust Nairobi Nursery, it is renowned for pioneering the rescue and hand-raising of orphaned baby elephants and rhinos, through to their reintegration to the wild when grown.

10. Nairobi National Park is where the iconic burning of Ivory took place

The second president of Kenya, the late Daniel Arap Moi, burnt 12 tons of illegal ivory at the iconic Ivory Burning Site in Nairobi National Park in 1989. This was done as a way to end the illegal ivory trade and save elephants and rhinos in Kenya and the region from poachers.

In 2016, another set of ivory that was confiscated at the Kenya airports while in transfer to other destinations was burnt at the same site by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The Ivory Burning Monument is now one of the fascinating attractions and among the facts about Nairobi National Park.