Nairobi National Park Conservation is an urgent issue .There should be a Nairobi National Park Conservation program to look at the issues in a deep level. Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya found south of Nairobi. Despite its proximity to the city and its relative small size, it boasts a large and varied wildlife population, and is one of Kenya’s most successful rhinoceros sanctuaries. Nairobi National Park was the first national park established in Kenya. The park is located about 7 km (4.3 mi) from the Nairobi’s Centre.
Plant Life
The park’s predominant environment is open grass plain with scattered Acacia bushes. The lower slopes of these areas are grassland. Themeda, cypress, Digitaria, and Cynodon species present in these grassland areas. There is a riverine forest along the permanent river in the south of the park. There are areas of broken bush and deep rocky valleys and gorges within the park. The species in the valleys are predominantly Acacia and Euphorbia candelabrum. Several plants that grow on the rocky hillsides are unique to the Nairobi area.
Animal Life
The park has a large and diverse wildlife population. Species found in the park include African buffalo, baboon, eastern black rhinoceros, gazelle, Grant’s zebra, cheetah, Coke’s hartebeest, hippopotamus, African leopard, lion, common eland, impala, Masai giraffe, ostrich, vultures and waterbuck. The concentration of wildlife in the park is greatest in the dry season, when areas outside the park have dried up. Small dams built along the Mbagathi River give the park more water resources than these outside areas. They attract water dependent herbivores during the dry season.
Conservation
The park is under pressure from the city’s growing population and need for farmland. People live right next to the park’s boundaries, which creates human-animal conflicts. The human population also creates pollution and garbage. Effluent and industrial waste from factories located along the park’s northern boundary contaminate the park’s surface and ground water systems. Lately developers want to build hotels and resorts which will affect both the plant and animal life.
Conservation of Nairobi National park is key to all Kenyan citizens particularly to the tourism board.