A park worth fighting for

Peering through binoculars, we spot a huge bird of prey high up the canopy of the yellow-barked acacia. It’s a young martial eagle.

The tree has been a favourite of the martial eagles for generations and most local birders know it. We are excited because it shows another generation of Africa’s largest eagle, and one of the most powerful avian predators, is still in Nairobi.

It’s not the only young bird in the block. A flock of young ostriches wanders on the grasslands as their mother follows close by.

The wooded savanna, the central part of the park, is the martial eagle’s habitat. The forested area is to the west of the park where a pair of African crowned eagles has had a nest for years. With the roads being expanded, the tree with the African crowned eagle’s nest is a few feet from the tarmac opposite the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya.

ONE OF A KIND

The African crowned eagle is the only one in its family which once included the Malagasy crowned eagle in Madagascar. Unfortunately with human pressure and habitat destruction the Malagasy crowned eagle went the way of the Dodo – it is now extinct. Today, the African crowned eagle faces a similar fate with the destruction of the tropical forests.

It’s relatively quiet in the park being midday but we get a close up of elands by the road, with their beautiful twisted horns. Being the largest of the antelopes they are easy to spot and quite abundant in the park.

Next on the list is a pin-tailed whydah in full breeding plumage. It’s a cheeky bird for the female lays its eggs in nests of waxbills and lets the host parents do the parenting.

The usual game is also around with zebra crossing – not painted stripes on the road for pedestrians but real herds of zebra crossing the road – Coke’s hartebeest and a few wildebeest. Until 1994, Nairobi National Park was the scene of wildebeest migration twice a year – comparable to the Mara-Serengeti migration. It came to an end with the new roads and unplanned construction along the Athi-Kapiti plains.

The only cat we see is Mohawk – one of the park’s famous male lion. He’s relaxing under the shade of a tree. A Kori bustard the world’s heaviest flying bird and the haughty secretary bird saunters past.

BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL

Standing on the bluff overlooking Mokoyeti River by Mokoyeti picnic site, rock hyraxes sun themselves on the rocks and play on the trees.

When the park was established in 1946, it seemed that the battle had been won to save one of Africa’s most pristine habitats for wildlife.

Today, with the human population dynamics changing, the demand for space and infrastructure is high on the ‘development’ list and this puts the integrity of the park at risk.

Driving on the eastern side of the park, we see tall pylons. By the Nairobi animal orphanage we spot posts erected to expand the orphanage – which is not supposed to be a zoo but an animal ‘hospital’ for the animals to recover and be set free again. Then there’s the Southern bypass and other areas that may be soon be hived off.

It’s a dilemma for the park is a national monument and akin to the Taj Mahal in India and the pyramids of Egypt. The world associates Nairobi with its wildlife park. Also, the wild animals and natural habitats are worth conserving for they are indicators of healthy ecosystems. With the natural forests, grasslands and wetlands gone, we will see more scarcity of clean water, clean air and healthy spaces for us to breathe from.

Make a date in Nairobi National Park and enjoy it – take a picnic with you but drive carefully, take all your litter home with you and forget about the music – enjoy the natural sounds of the wind and the wildlife and pray that the park is saved from destruction.

SAVING THE PARK

Join Friends of Nairobi National Park to learn more about the park and its inhabitants as well as participate in activities such as game counts and clean-ups and others, that support the protection of the park and its wildlife. Email [email protected] for more details. The membership fees per year are Sh1,000 for individuals, Sh500 for students, Sh2,000 for family and Sh10,000 for corporate membership.