The park’s relatively small size (180 sq km, depending on the reach of the lake) makes it easy to get around in a day. The forests anywhere in the park are good for leopards and rare tree-climbing lions imported from eastern Kenya. The park’s black and white rhinos (around 60 altogether) tend to stick fairly close to the lake shore and sightings are common.
The health of the white rhinos in particular is monitored carefully by the rangers; coloured patches on the skin are likely to reflect recent medical treatment. Warthogs are common all over the park, as are beautiful waterbucks, zebras and buffaloes, while Thomson’s gazelles, impalas and reedbucks can be seen further into the bush. Around the cliffs you may catch sight of hyraxes and birds of prey amid the countless baboons; the latter by no means shy about enthusiastically reproducing in public. Black-and-white colobus monkeys are present in small numbers in the forests near the eastern shore of the lake. A small herd of hippos generally frequents the lake’s northern shore. Even if the flamingos aren’t in residence, the thousands of preening pelicans still put on a show. The once spectacular euphorbia forest, the largest in Africa, has sadly burned down.
