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KENYA
AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
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The
image of elephants wandering across grass plains
with the snowy peak of Mt Kilimanjaro in the background
is one known even to armchair travellers. This
epitomises Amboseli National Park and highlights
the stark contrasts Africa has to offer.
In
Amboseli's case it is big skies and far horizons
combined with swampy springs and dry and dusty
earth trammelled by hundreds of animals. Amboseli
has an endless underground water supply filtered
through thousands of feet of volcanic rock from
Kilimanjaro's ice cap, which funnel into two
clear water springs in the heart of the park.
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the climatic pendulum can swing from drought to
flood, and in the early 1990's ceaseless rain
changed Amboseli into a swamp.A few years later
the rains failed and the grass-covered plains
turned to dust.
Amboseli's dust is ancient volcanic ash, whose
salt crystals shimmer on the surface of the parched
lakebed during the dry season. This creates hazy
mirages which make you question just what is real.
Surrounding
Amboseli are ranch areas where the Maasai share
the land with the wildlife. Wild animals tends
to avoid the village areas as it there are far
too many people and the grazing has already been
eaten by the Maasai's all-important cattle. |
| ANIMALS
& BIRDS
This park is renowned for
its elephants, who may be seen in herds over 100
strong drinking from the surface springs. There
are so many of them that their penchant for pushing
down trees is destroying the habitat that sustains
them. Big old bull elephants carry some of the
largest tusks to be seen anywhere in Africa and
is a renowned feature of this park.
Also
happily roaming the grasslands are buffalo, wildebeest,
zebra, giraffes, impala and warthog. Attendant
carnivores include lion, leopard, caracal, cheetah,
jackal, hyena and serval cat. Unfortunately any
rhino are long gone from this area after intensive
poaching.
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| Birdlife
is extremely good and you can expect to see pelicans,
bee-eaters, kingfishers and many types of eagles.
SEASONS
Rainy Season: The long hot and
humid rainy period starts around April and lasts
until June, then the short rains come during the
warm months of November and December.
Dry Season: January through to
March are hot and dry, while July to October are
warm and dry. The warm dry season is the best
for game viewing and for personal comfort.
AMBOSELI
SPECIALITIES
· Majestic Mt Kilimanjaro
backdrop
· Large herds of elephants
· Big old tuskers
· Contemporary Maasai
Culture
FACTS
Altitude is between 3,900-4,500 feet (1,189-1,372
metres)
The park encompasses an area of 151miles²
(392km²)
The park first opened in 1948
This is a malarial area.
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Follow
the links below to Kenya's premier wildlife regions and game
reserves
PRIVATE SAFARI LODGES WE RECOMMEND IN THE AMBOSELI REGION |
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