What's in Nairobi National Park?
 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news...tional.html#cr

This Feb game count shows you.

My first wildlife sighting of any kind was a giraffe in Nairobi National park. The article mentions how they don't like to move off the roads and how easily seen they are. That's my recollection. I got a giraffe eyelash picture.

Only one cheetah was found, a male. The game count mentions the previous lack of gazelles had forced cheetahs to move out. It also mentions gazelles have returned to the park as a result of KWS's policy of controlled burns. My first cheetah-in the-wild sighting was in Nairobi National Park. I guess the "first cat" really makes an impression. But I keep going places without any cheetah, which makes my declaration of love for this species a little suspect.

There were a dozen rhino counted, which indicated there are likely twice that number. The discrepancy with KWS's figure of 60-some was mentioned.

The Panari Hotel is next to Nairobi National Park so it is easy to throw in a quick safari there if you don't depart until midday. I think I'll have a couple of hours for a visit in August and maybe I'll see a Kongoni antelope. And I'll look for that one male cheetah so we can renew our bonds.

On my first visit (in August 1999) I saw lion, rhino, zebra, giraffe, etc. On my second visit (August 2003), which I arranged after I was bumped from the KLM flight and had an extra day in Nairobi, I saw very little. I think I mentioned on a post back then that I thought they should turn the park into a fenced reserve, focusing on conserving rhinos. There are now too many residents between the park and the historic migration feeding grounds, so fewer and fewer animals spend time in the park. They also need to fence to keep cattle outside the park.

Yes, cattle are a problem. It does not seem to be a flourishing place, but it's surviving.

The latest information from the EAWLS had some more positive news for NNP but it certainly has its problems.

In future I will be using the park to transit from the JKIA to our hotel in the Karen area. The main road is just too much of a nightmare and a traffic free jaunt seeing a few animals will be much less stressful. For a fee of course! Although I understand that some of the local agents are trying to negotiate a smaller fee for transiting the park … but then a whole line of cars taking tourists to their hotel may not enhance the park experience! Perhaps we shouldn't tell anyone about that idyllic shortcut!!

What shortcut?