The Nairobi National Park Ecosystem

Nairobi National Park is unique as the only protected wildlife area in the world with such a huge variety of animals and birds close to a capital city. It is a principal attraction for visitors to Nairobi and also serves many local residents.

As a successful rhino sanctuary, the park has an excellent record for supporting the species and nurturing them until they are re-located to their former range and to other upcoming sanctuaries. Due to this success, it is one of the few parks where a visitor can be certain of seeing a black rhino in its natural environment.

Nairobi National Park is a 117 km2 area including a diverse range of habitats with a wealth of flora and fauna. There are vast tracts of open grass plains with scattered acacia bush. There is a highland dry forest on the western side of the park and to the south there is riverine forest and a permanent river.

There are also stretches of broken bush and deep, rocky valleys and gorges with scrub and long grass. Further environments have been created by man-made dams and these have attracted certain species of birds and aquatic life. During the dry season the dams also attract water-dependent herbivores.