Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is a national park in Kajiado South Constituency in Kajiado County,[1]Kenya. The park is 39,206 ha (392.06 km2)[2] in size at the core of an 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area, average 350 mm (14 in), one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds like pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hamerkop and 47 raptor species.[3]
In 1883, Jeremy 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 the 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 site 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.
Wildlife
Elephants in Amboseli National Park – Mount Kilimanjaro is in the background.
Elephants grazing in Amboseli swamps, north of Mount Kilimanjaro
"Tim" the Elephant at Amboseli national park
The park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants.[4] Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and visit a Maasai village. The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
Amboseli was home to Echo, the most researched elephant in the world, and the subject of many books and documentaries, followed for almost four decades by American conservationist Dr. Cynthia Moss. Echo died in 2009 when she was about 60 years old.[5]
The park was also a safe haven to an incredible bull elephant named Tim. This mighty leviathan quickly became one of the major attractions with his size and iconic tusks that reached the ground and was estimated to be around 50 years old at the time of his death from natural causes on 5 February 2020.
The park has several rules to protect the wildlife: Never leave the vehicle, except at designated spots; do not harass the animals in any way; always keep to the tracks; no off-road driving; and always give the animals 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.[8][9]
^"County Government of Kajiado – Naboisho ang, engolon ang". Retrieved 28 May 2020.
^"World Database on Protected Areas: Amboseli Nationalpark". sea.unep-wcmc.org. Retrieved 28 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
^. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
^"ATE – Amboseli Trust for Elephants". elephanttrust.org. from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
^"Elephants in Amboseli". Animals Around The Globe. Animals Around The Globe. December 2019.
^"Visit Africa: Amboseli National Park". visitafrica.site. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
^"Visit Amboseli National Park | The Travelling Souk". thetravellingsouk.com. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
^"Amboseli National Park| Kenya Wildlife Safari| Africa Safari Companies". Retrieved 24 May 2020.
^. African Travels. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
^"County Government of Kajiado – Naboisho ang, engolon ang". Retrieved 28 May 2020.
External links
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Amboseli National Park.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amboseli National Park.
official website for Amboseli National Park
Amboseli park -Amboseli national park web portal
January 20, 2023
amboseli, national, park, formerly, maasai, amboseli, game, reserve, national, park, kajiado, south, constituency, kajiado, county, kenya, park, size, core, ecosystem, that, spreads, across, kenya, tanzania, border, local, people, mainly, maasai, people, from,. Amboseli National Park formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve is a national park in Kajiado South Constituency in Kajiado County 1 Kenya The park is 39 206 ha 392 06 km2 2 in size at the core of an 8 000 km2 3 100 sq mi ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya Tanzania border The local people are mainly Maasai but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps that makes this low rainfall area average 350 mm 14 in one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds like pelicans kingfishers crakes hamerkop and 47 raptor species 3 Amboseli National ParkIUCN category II national park Location of Amboseli National ParkShow map of Tsavo national parksLocation of Amboseli National Park within KenyaShow map of KenyaLocationKajiado County KenyaNearest cityNairobiCoordinates02 38 29 S 37 14 53 E 2 64139 S 37 24806 E 2 64139 37 24806 Coordinates 02 38 29 S 37 14 53 E 2 64139 S 37 24806 E 2 64139 37 24806Area392 km2 151 sq mi Established1974 as a national park as a reserve in 1906 Visitors120 000 estimated in 2006 Governing bodyKenya Wildlife Service Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai communityThe park protects two of the five main swamps and includes a dried up Pleistocene lake and semiarid vegetation Contents 1 History 2 Wildlife 3 Access 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory Edit Mount Kilimanjaro is in the background In 1883 Jeremy 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 the 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 site 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 Wildlife Edit Elephants in Amboseli National Park Mount Kilimanjaro is in the background Elephants grazing in Amboseli swamps north of Mount Kilimanjaro Tim the Elephant at Amboseli national park The park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free ranging elephants 4 Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and visit a Maasai village The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro the highest free standing mountain in the world Amboseli was home to Echo the most researched elephant in the world and the subject of many books and documentaries followed for almost four decades by American conservationist Dr Cynthia Moss Echo died in 2009 when she was about 60 years old 5 The park was also a safe haven to an incredible bull elephant named Tim This mighty leviathan quickly became one of the major attractions with his size and iconic tusks that reached the ground and was estimated to be around 50 years old at the time of his death from natural causes on 5 February 2020 Amboseli National Park offers some of the best opportunities to see African wildlife because the vegetation is sparse due to the long dry months The protected area is home to African bush elephant Cape buffalo impala lion cheetah spotted hyena Masai giraffe Grant s zebra and blue wildebeest A host of large and small birds occur too 6 7 The park has several rules to protect the wildlife Never leave the vehicle except at designated spots do not harass the animals in any way always keep to the tracks no off road driving and always give the animals 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 8 9 Access EditA small airport is in Amboseli the Amboseli Airport HKAM See also EditAmboseli Elephant Research Project Amboseli Baboon Research Project Kajiado County 10 References Edit County Government of Kajiado Naboisho ang engolon ang Retrieved 28 May 2020 World Database on Protected Areas Amboseli Nationalpark sea unep wcmc org Retrieved 28 July 2008 permanent dead link Amboseli National Park Archived from the original on 3 September 2011 Retrieved 14 June 2011 ATE Amboseli Trust for Elephants elephanttrust org Archived from the original on 16 February 2008 Retrieved 17 March 2008 Elephants in Amboseli Animals Around The Globe Animals Around The Globe December 2019 Visit Africa Amboseli National Park visitafrica site Retrieved 24 May 2020 Visit Amboseli National Park The Travelling Souk thetravellingsouk com Retrieved 24 May 2020 Amboseli National Park Kenya Wildlife Safari Africa Safari Companies Retrieved 24 May 2020 African Travels Amboseli National Park African Travels Archived from the original on 30 July 2016 Retrieved 24 May 2020 County Government of Kajiado Naboisho ang engolon ang Retrieved 28 May 2020 External links Edit Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Amboseli National Park Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amboseli National Park https web archive org web 20140425234012 http amboselinationalpark co ke official website for Amboseli National Park Amboseli Africa s Elephant Park The Official Guide Amboseli park Amboseli national park web portal Kenya Wildlife Service Amboseli National Park Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Amboseli National Park amp oldid 1117170748, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
