MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK

 

At 5,199 m. high and covering 715 Sq.Kms, Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest

mountain and ranks high on Kenya safaris. It offers easy or challenging ascents with superb scenic beauty.

According to the Kikuyu tribe legends, it is the home of the Supreme Being,   Ngai,

a name also used by the Maasai and Kamba tribes. In traditional prayers and sacrifices, Ngai (Kikuyu for god) is addressed by the Kikuyu as Mwene Nyaga, creator of all.

The origin of the parks name comes from Kere Nyaga, the Kikuyu name for

Mount Kenya, meaning Mountain of Brightness - Ngai's official home.

175 Kms. from Nairobi, the park ranks high on Kenya safari itineraries. It was opened in 1949 and most of the mountain's fascination is the variation in flora and fauna as the altitude changes. The lower slopes are covered with dry upland forest, the true montane forest begins at 2,000 m. and is mainly cedar and podo. At 2,500 m. begins a dense belt of of bamboo forest which merges into the upper forest of smaller trees, interspersed with glades.

 

In this area the trees are festooned with high altitude moss.

These forest belts are host to many different animals and plants with at least

11 unique species. Wildlife includes the Black and White Colobus and Sykes monkeys, bushbuck, buffalo, elephant and lower down Olive Baboons, waterbucks, black rhinos, black fronted duiker, leopard, giant forest hogs, genet cat, bush pigs and hyenas.

More elusive is the bongo, a rare type of forest antelope.

A number of other rare or endangered species can be found here, these includes the

Sunni Buck, Mt Kenya Mole Shrew, skinks (lizard), and a variety of owls. Occasional

sightings have been recorded of albino zebra.

The high altitude heath at the top (3,000 - 3,500 m.) is generally open, dotted with

shrubs: African Sage, protea and helicrysum. The peak (above 3,500 m.) is moorland, with little game other than high altitude zebra and eland common in the northern moorland.

There is only one lodge inside the Park, seven climbers huts and three self-help banda sites. Just outside the Park there are three lodges and another self-help banda site.

 

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