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crakes, hammerkops and 47 types of raptor.

The park protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semi-arid vegetation.

240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast from the capital city Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the second most popular national park in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve.

History

In 1883, Joseph Thompson was the first European to penetrate the feared Maasai region known as Empusel (meaning 'salty, dusty place' in Maa). He, too, was astonished by the fantastic array of wildlife and the contrast between the arid areas of the dry-lake bed and the oasis of the swamps, a contrast that persists today.

Amboseli was set aside as the 'Southern Reserve' for Maasai in 1906 but returned to local control as a Game Reserve in 1948. Gazetted a National Park in 1974 to protect the core of this unique ecosystem, it was declared a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1991. The park earned $3.5 m (€2.9 m) in 2005. On 29 September 2005, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared that control of the park should pass from the Kenya Wildlife Service to the Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai tribe. Some observers saw this as a political favour in advance of a vote on a new Kenyan constitution: legal challenges are currently in court. The degazetting would divert park admission fees directly to the County Council with shared benefits to the Maasai immediately surrounding the park.

Animals

The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and visit a Maasai village. The park also offers spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

Amboseli offers some of the best opportunities to see African wildlife because the vegetation is sparse due to the long dry months. Amboseli National Park is home to many species, including elephants, Cape buffaloes, impala, Masai lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, Masai giraffes, plains zebras and blue wildebeest among other African animals. There is also a host of Kenyan birds, both large and small.

The park has several rules to protect the wildlife: to never getting out of the vehicle, except at designated spots; to not harass the animals in any way; keep to the tracks; no off-road driving; and animals always have the right of way. The roads in Amboseli have a loose surface of volcanic soil that is dusty in the dry season and impassable in the wet season.

There is a small airport in Amboseli, the Amboseli Airport (HKAM).

See also

• Amboseli Elephant Research Project

References

1. http://www.amboselinationalpark.co.uk/facts-about-the-amboseli-national-park/ Amboseli National Park
2. "ATE – Amboseli Trust for Elephants". elephanttrust.org. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

http://www.amboselinationalpark.co.ke/ official website for Amboseli National Park

• Amboseli- Africa's Elephant Park – The Official Guide
• Kenya Wildlife Service – Amboseli National Park

• Amboseli National Park
• Great Rift Valley
• Biosphere reserves of Kenya
• National parks of Kenya
• Kajiado County
• Protected areas established in 1974
• Visitor attractions in Rift Valley Province