Lake Nakuru joined in 2013 the list of other lakes in Rift Valley whose water levels have abnormally increased endangering the lives of residents and the ecosystems around the lake.
Some lakes are recognized as Wetlands of International Importance, and all are Important Bird Areas, with several being within UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites.
The lake level rises are worrying because of the destruction to homes, livelihoods, industry, and infrastructure, and loss of terrestrial wildlife habitat.
The effects on lake ecologies are a concern as flooding increases lake turbidity and dilutes the saline waters of alkaline lakes. Alkaline lakes like Nakuru provide unique feeding habitats for East Africa’s famous lesser flamingos.
Lake Nakuru is well known in Kenya for its rhino population, and it has one hundred white and fifty black rhinos to be seen.
Black and white rhinos naming has created confusion because both species of rhino are in fact grey… I hope I didn't make a mistake identifying this one as black!
The Augur Buzzard is a large, stocky hawk, which usually perches in full view on the ground on a prominence of ground or on a perch (tree, rock, post,…) and is not shy, so that one can often observe it at leisure.
Named for their preferred proximity to water, the Common Waterbuck feeds on plants near bodies of water in various habitats, including savannas and forests.
These creatures are designed for protection from Kenya’s predators in several ways. Their eyes are situated on the sides of their face in order to maximize their field of vision. Their bodies give off a strong odor that helps to ward off predators as well.
Another notable trait is their long horns, which are sometimes used by males when fighting over territory.
While many might assume that the birds are a constant annoyance to the majestic buffalo who carry them across the plains of Kenya, they would only be half right.
A classic alliance in the animal kingdom is often seen in the African Buffalos. Birds often sit on the back of buffaloes, pecking in open wounds, picking vermin from the host's fur, and even looking deep into their ears and noses for food - typically a win-win situation for both.
The African buffalo is not an ancestor of domestic cattle and is only distantly related to other larger bovines. Its unpredictable temperament means that the African buffalo has never been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the water buffalo. African buffaloes have few predators aside from lions and large crocodiles.
A characteristic feature of the horns of adult male African buffalo (southern and eastern populations) is that the bases come very close together, forming a shield referred to as a “boss”.
The Rhino Sanctuary in Lake Nakuru National Park was the first Rhino sanctuary in Kenya and is currently home to the largest number of black rhinos in the country. The rhino sanctuary was established in 1984 when the first two rhinos were introduced to the lake Nakuru National Park grounds.
Lake Nakuru National Park was chosen as the first Rhino sanctuary because it was already a bird sanctuary and it had the needed land for the rhinos to be relocated at the time. Also because rhinos need water every day, the presence of the lake made it advantageous for rhinos to make their life in the park; the vegetation in the park is also suitable for both the white and black rhinos, so Lake Nakuru National Park was and still is the perfect place for the rhino sanctuary.
Olive baboons have a greenish-grey coat covering their bodies. Infants are born with a black natal coat that changes to the adult coloration as they age.
Olive baboons are widespread throughout equatorial Africa and are found in 25 countries.
Olive baboons live in a variety of habitats across their broad range. Baboons are generally characterized as savanna species, inhabiting open grassland near wooded areas.
The mantled guereza (Colobus guereza), also known simply as the guereza, the eastern black-and-white colobus, or the Abyssinian black-and-white colobus, is a black-and-white colobus, a type of Old World monkey. It is native to much of west central and east Africa.
It has a distinctive appearance, which is alluded to in its name; the long white fringes of hair that run along each side of its black trunk are known as a mantle. Its face is framed with white hair and it has a large white tail tuft.
The saddle-billed stork, or saddlebill (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa.
This is a close relative of the widespread Asian and Australian black-necked stork, the only other member of the genus Ephippiorhynchus.
The African fish eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur.
This is a generalist species, requiring only open water with sufficient prey and a good perch, as evidenced by the number of habitat types in which this species may be found, including grassland, swamps, marshes, tropical rainforest, fynbos, and even desert-bordering coastlines
Some people say lions sleep 22 out of every 24 hours. It's true we often see them lying in the grass, sometimes yawning. But it doesn't mean they sleep when we're not there. “Lions lying sleeping in the shade on a hot day are […] conserving energy during the least energetically efficient time of the day. […] If the energy costs involved in an activity aren’t outweighed by its potential benefits, they simply won’t do it.” Clever.
Le Gratin Mondain is a guest house in Noyers-sur-Serein, one of the most beautiful villages of France.
Noyers has retained much of its medieval appearance. Its heritage is not based on exceptional monuments, but on the unity of the various buildings, most of which were constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries, either within the fortified enclosure of the Bourg located in the meander of the Serein, or on either side of the causeway leading to the faubourg.
From the ancient fortifications of the medieval town, several fortified gates leading to the village and the ramparts remain, with 19 towers (out of the original 23).
At number 22 of Mstislav-Rostropovitch street in the new Clichy-Batignolles district of Paris, this “Unic” apartment building was designed by Chinese architect Ma Yansong in collaboration with French architect Christian Biecher.
Completed in 2019, it is 49 meters high and has 14 floors.
The undulating forms of the building are directly inspired by Asian culture terraces.
The secretary bird is a very large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey, endemic to Africa.
The secretary bird is instantly recognizable as a very large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs which increases the bird’s height to as much as 1.3 m tall.