Your safari can begin just a few miles from Nairobi's bustling CBD, where Kenya's wildlife heritage was established 50 years ago. Rick Edwards explains why Nairobi National Park should be on every visitor's itinerary.

Nairobi National Park is unique. It is the only natural park in the world that boasts a major migration of wild animals twice a year and is situated in sight of a metropolitan city of over two million people.

Created just before Christmas 1946, by a man of extraordinary vision, the late Mervyn Cowie, it was established as the first national park in Kenya. Cowie had tried unsuccessfully for many years to pressure the then British colonial government to turn the area into a park. Finally, in desperation, he wrote to the local newspaper calling for the destruction of all wild animals in Kenya saying "the wild animals were destroying the grazing of domesticated cattle and goats." He signed the letter "Old Settler."

Public outcry resulted in letters pouring into the paper, many saying that it was the "Old Settler" who should be destroyed and not the animals. A committee was quickly formed and at the end of World War II the gates of Nairobi National Park were opened to the public with Mervyn Cowie as its first executive officer.

The park is bordered on three sides by electrified fences and on the fourth by the Mbagathi River. It is across the Mbagathi that the wildebeest and Burchell's zebra migrate to their grazing and calving grounds on the Kitengela plains. Their migrations coincide with the rainy season: they leave the park at the onset of the rains in April/May and return three months later when the grazing is exhausted on the Kitengela plains.

Within the 117 square kilometre park area there are many types of habitat, ranging from high ground forest in the northwest to riverine forest in the south. In between, there are rolling plains, savannah and rocky gorges.

A short drive from the park entrance through the high ground forest is a public picnic area. Here, there is a large, white circular mound. On this site the government of Kenya, on three separate occasions, took a highly publicised stand against poaching and the sale of ivory by burning a total of over 20 tons of illegal and poached elephant tusks and several hundred Black rhino horns and unlawful wildlife trophies. All that now remains of these once magnificent animals is contained in the white mound of ivory ash.

From the picnic area, the African plains spread out to the horizon. During the dry season this is one of the lion's favorite hunting laces, with Wilson Plains offering a feast of animals including Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, eland, Masai giraffe, Coke's hartebeest, ostrich, wildebeest and Burchell's zebra. This is also one of the best places to see and photograph the endangered Black rhino against the backdrop of high rise buildings in downtown Nairobi. With a resident population of around 60 Black rhino, the park offers probably the best chance in Africa to see this endangered animal in the wild.

A favourite watering spot for the migrating herds and predators is Hyena Dam. This body of water contains hippopotamus and crocodiles as well as numerous water birds including Yellow-billed and Marabou storks, countless waders and migratory birds and the now rare Saddle-billed stork. Perhaps the best time to visit this dam is at sunrise in the dry season. Long lines of wildebeest enveloped in clouds of dust can be seen trudging across the plains driven by their need for water.

Athi Basin is located south of the plains and offers a distinctive view. As its name implies, it is a gently sloping valley, punchbowl in shape. At the start of the rainy season, this area hosts thousands of animals waiting to cross the swollen Mbagathi River. Athi Basin is also part of the territorial domain of a huge male cheetah, sole survivor of a litter of three brothers. His mother drew world attention three years ago when she gave birth to eight cubs and managed to raise six to adulthood. Currently, this female has three cubs and they frequently visit the area.

Within the Basin, the Kenya Wildlife Service has provided a picnic area and public toilet facilities at Hippo Pool. Park rules prohibit visitors from leaving their vehicles except in this picturesque location. Visitors can enjoy a short walk along the river to observe the hippos and crocodiles or, if very lucky, the shy African Finfoot, a rare duck-like bird.

Beyond the rim of the Athi Basin is a salt-lick and the start of Sosain Gorge. Dissecting the gorge is a dead end track. This is the home of small groups of buffalo and the rare Chanler's reedbuck. Herds of impala and Common waterbuck are often seen eating the mineral rich earth at the salt lick. Lions frequent this area and prey on anything from ostrich to full grown giraffes.

Mokoyet Lookout Point is a short drive away. There are no elephants in the park, but this picnic site allows visitors a chance to observe its closest relative, the rabbit-like Rock hyrax. Only the hyraxes are agile enough to negotiate this steep terrain, finding shelter in holes, cracks and crannies.

A short distance away is the spectacular view offered at Leopard Cliffs, named because leopards have reportedly been seen lying on rocky ledges. The gorge below is also home to a pair of Black or Verreaux's eagles who nest on the cliffs and prey on the nearby hyrax population.

As a respite from the midday heat it is worth visiting the highland forest, filled with shady glades and boulder strewn streams. Passing along numerous tracks in the forest, Vervet monkeys, Olive baboons, Bushbuck, Spotted hyena and large numbers of forest-dwelling birds are resident. Scattered among the trees small pools hold wallowing buffalo with their attendant Red-billed oxpeckers. Breeding populations of Spur-winged geese and Crowned cranes are resident in the adjoining reed beds. Impala Point is a welcome stop offering probably the best view of the park's plains and savannah stretching far below.

Nairobi National Park offers the visitor a large variety of birds, animals and ecosystems and can be an extremely rewarding experience for a short term visitor or transit tourist.

Rick Edwards is an award-winning photographer whose work has been published in many international publications, including BBC Wildlife.

NAIROBI NP FACTFILE

Being about 10km from the Nairobi city centre, Nairobi National Park is only a 20 minute drive from most hotels.

Many tour companies in Nairobi offer visits to the park. These usually consist of half day tours, often run in conjunction with a visit to some of the city's other attractions. Bookings can usually be made through your hotel.

The park is open from 6am - 7pm year round.

Entrance fee is US$20 per adult, $5 per child, $10 per person in an organised group.

Nairobi Animal Orphanage, situated at the park entrance, has a separate entry charge of $5 for adults and $2 for children between three and 18 years old.

Published in Travel Africa Edition One: Autumn 1997.Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)