National Park Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is a national park in the Central part of Kenya, about 140 kilometers southwest of the city of Nairobi, near the city of Nakuru. The park's territory is 188 km2. Initially, a bird sanctuary was established on Lake Nakuru, which became a national park in 1968.
Lake Nakuru has become a haven for 13 species of birds that are on the verge of extinction, as well as for many other birds. Nakuru is particularly striking for its huge flocks of pink flamingos. Sometimes up to one and a half million flamingos come to the lakes for feeding. They are attracted here by algae, and the beta-carotene contained in them gives them a pink color.
There are a lot of carbonates and bicarbonates in the water of Lake Nakuru, which is why it is super saline. Such a habitat is extremely aggressive for many organisms, but some have been able to adapt to environmental conditions. 6 types of phytoplankton can be found in the water. The lake is dominated by spirulina algae, which makes the water near the shore turn dark green, as well as impassable and sticky. This algae is the basis for the entire biological chain in the lake, containing large amounts of proteins and beta-carotene. Zooplankton, paddleboats, insect larvae, and copepods feed on algae.
The territory of Lake Nakuru Park was expanded to preserve the rarest black rhinoceros, for this they even fenced off the territory from poachers. But all attempts to preserve it proved futile - on November 10, 2013, the black rhino of West Africa was officially declared an extinct species. On the southeastern side, the park is adjacent to the nature conservation area, which is the only passage for animals to Lake Naivasha. Here you can meet a Ugandan giraffe, which was brought to these parts for safety from western Kenya in 1977. Water goat, buffalo, warthog, giraffe are common. Thompson's gazelle, redunka, is a predator of lions and leopards.
The landscapes of the park are very beautiful, forests of acacia trees grow near the shore, after which endless green plains and mountain ranges begin. In addition to pink flamingos, there are a large number of other birds in Lake Nakuru National Park. Among the thickets of trees, you can see a screeching eagle, a giant heron, a hammerhead, a small kingfisher, a Kaffir eagle, a cormorant, a pelican.
A variety of expensive loggias have been built for guests of the park, and campsites are suitable for budget holidays. Walking is possible only on observation platforms.
