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Amboseli National Park, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Chyulu Hills, History, Selenkay Conservation Area, Wildlife

history

The current national park is part of what was historically the Southern Maasai Reserve, created at the end of the nineteenth century.  Tourism started in the 1940's and Amboseli was given protected status as a reserve in 1948.

The swamps in Amboseli had long been used by the Maasai people to water their cattle and they continued to do so even after the reserve was created.

Unfortunately, the increased demands on the water in the reserve created an unsustainable situation, with tourism, wildlife and the Maasai cattle all competing for the limited supply in the reserve. As a result, much of the acacia woodlands died off during the 1970's. The Kenya government declared the area a national park in 1974 and this meant that the Maasai (and their cattle) were formally excluded from the park.

In retaliation, the Maasai killed nearly all the park's black rhinos (Amboseli's emblematic animal and a major draw for tourists) over the following three years. The few remaining rhinos were captured and translocated out of the park. The Maasai also wiped out the majority of the lion population, which has still not recovered today.

The conflict continued until a dedicated water pipeline was built for the Maasai cattle, after which the Maasai gave up their land. Today there seems to be an unofficial compromise, as during the dry season, Maasai herders and their cattle can still be seen encroaching inside the park, as in the old days.

Amboseli's grasslands were badly degraded by uncontrolled tourist minibuses during the 1980's, creating a vast dust-land that was inhospitable for the wildlife. A dedicated effort to build roads and restrict tourist numbers, as well as strictly prohibiting off-road driving has greatly improved this situation.

amboseli national park

Covering 151 square miles (392 sq kms), Amboseli is often called the 'Maasai Place of Dust'. The national park contains diverse habitats, from open plains, acacia-thorn bush/scrub, large freshwater swamps and marshes fed by streams from Kilimanjaro, and acacia woodlands.

Most of the open plains in the park are covered with a fine, saline volcanic ash that was deposited by successive Kilimanjaro eruptions during its active period long ago. During most days, this volcanic dust becomes disturbed by wind and also by the hooves of the plains game, creating incredible imagery, especially at sunset. Huge 'dust devils', similar to miniature tornados, can be seen blowing across the plains during midday.

Given the dry and seemingly inhospitable landscape in Amboseli, one may at first wonder how so many animals can survive here. The answer is that water from the upper slopes of Kilimanjaro drains into Amboseli via a network of underground streams and resurfaces at its northern base, where they feed into a network of swamps and seasonal lakes in Amboseli.

The large Lake Amboseli in the west is usually bone dry, but when substantial rains arrive, the shallow lake retains enough water to attract flamingos and pelicans, and the entire area transforms from a dry and dusty lake-bed into a lush oasis for wildlife.

The national park itself is small and can be somewhat crowded with tourists. That said, the amazing elephant herds and towering Mount Kilimanjaro as its backdrop combine to make Amboseli an incredibly scenic place to visit.

Kilimanjaro, as seen from the national park, is massive and fills much of the sky to the south, but is often shrouded in clouds at its upper elevations. Sunset and early morning are the best times to see 'Kili', and seasonally best during the rainy season, when the air has less dust.

Amboseli Wildlife

Amboseli is a haven for hundreds of elephants and the herds are numerous and include many 'big tuskers'. The predators here are not easily seen, aside from the jackals and spotted hyenas. The once prevalent lions never recovered from historic persecution by the Maasai, and cheetahs are only rarely encountered. Leopards are present, but extremely elusive.

Grass-eaters are here in abundance, with zebras, giraffes, and buffalos the most common. There are also good numbers of impala, wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, and the unique gerenuk antelope, with its ultra-long neck. Baboons are here in huge numbers in the areas with trees and around the swamps.

Birding is excellent, especially in the permanent swamps at Enkongo Narok and Ol Okenya and also in the Acacia woodlands. Over 400 species have been recorded in the region.

During the dry season, much of the wildlife is concentrated into the swamp/marshy regions and into the patchwork of acacia forest for their abundant food sources. After the rains have started, the animals disperse and are much more spread out into the surrounding areas.

The park is small and easily covered in a couple days, but may be worth staying longer to get more chances at great photographs. The marshes have water all year and hippos can be seen at any time.

Amboseli Trust For Elephants

The Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE) is a research and conservation organization whose aim to to conserve and study Amboseli's elephant population. Supported by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), ATE's research is performed by the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP), founded by Dr Cynthia Moss in 1972. AERP is the world's longest-running study of elephants. Since its inception, AERP has monitored and studied all of Amboseli's resident elephants, collecting data on behavior, birth, and deaths.

Africa's elephant population has plummeted since the arrival of Europeans in the 1800s, when the lucrative ivory trade began. The slaughter of Africa's elephants has continued even in recent times, with numbers dropping from an estimated 1.3 million in 1979 to about 600 000 in 1990. Kenya's elephant numbers dropped from around 130 000 in 1973 to 20 000 in 1990 (a loss of 85%). The reason is still primarily due to the world demand for ivory.

Amboseli's elephants have mostly been spared this sad decline. Apart from providing huge gains in our understanding of elephant communication and society, the ongoing presence of AERP's presence in Amboseli has protected its elephants from poaching and persecution over the last 45+ years.

When elephants are killed for their ivory, it is the older bulls and cows that are targeted, as they have the largest tusks. This has greatly reduced the number of older elephants in much of Africa and skewed the age structure of the overall population. Due to the protection Amboseli's elephants have been afforded, it is one of the best places in Africa to see older bulls and matriarchs.

Moreover, Amboseli's elephants have become habituated to the presence of the researchers and vehicles, allowing tourists to get up close observation of the hundreds of elephants that live in the park.

Chyulu Hills

Chyulu Hills National Park and its surrounding group ranches offer an amazing, off the beaten path, wild experience in some of Kenya's least visited, but most beautiful country.

Gazetted in 1983, the park covers an area of 182 square miles (471 sq kms) of rolling hills covered in rich grassland with occasional patches of trees. The lava ridge that forms the hills spans around 60 miles (100 kms) in length and was only created recently (~ 500 years ago), and the hills are lush and home to diverse wildlife. The high point on the ridge reaches an elevation of 7 180 feet (2 188 meters).

Game drives and horseback riding are a specialty in the Chyulus. Some of Kenya's last mega-tusker elephants are known from this area. The tops of the hills are covered in verdant cloud forest and are some of the country's most beautiful lands.

While large numbers of wildlife live in the Chyulu's, they are not heavily concentrated and must be searched for on game drives. All of Africa's Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino) are present, as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra, and many more iconic species.

Species likely to be seen in the Chyulu Hills include elephant, Burchell's zebra, buffalo, eland, blue wildebeest, oryx, and Masai giraffe. Interesting and less common species that can be seen include bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, gerenuk, and giant forest hog, which is sometimes spotted in the forested areas.

Predators that are possible, but not often seem include lion, leopard, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, and cheetah. A small population of black rhino exists under constant surveillance by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Selenkay Conservation Area

Located north of Amboseli is the Selenkay Conservation Area. The Conservancy covers 60 square kilometers and has a safari camp, which is jointly operated with the local Maasai community. Game drives in the rather bushy area will usually bring views of predators, elephants, and lots of general game. Safari walks are also offered. The area is much less visited and far more wild than Amboseli National Park.

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Amboseli National Park, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Chyulu Hills, History, Selenkay Conservation Area, Wildlife