Tourism blow in Baringo as flamingos dump Bogoria on flooding
Flamingoes in Lake Bogoria.
What you need to know:
- Early this year, over a million of the feathered creatures moved to the lake after breeding in Lake Natron.
- In January this year, more than a million of the birds moved to Lake Bogoria earlier than anticipated.
- The drastic rise in water levels has led to an exodus to Nakuru, Elementaita and Lokipi.
Tourism in Baringo County has been dealt a big blow after thousands of flamingoes migrated from Lake Bogoria due to massive flooding.
Early this year, over a million of the feathered creatures moved to the lake after breeding in Lake Natron in Tanzania, being the largest number recorded ever in East and Central Africa.
However, thousands have migrated to Lake Nakuru, Elementaita and Lokipi in Turkana, thanks to the drastic rise in water levels at that has greatly hampered their feeding and perching.
In January this year, more than a million of the birds moved to Lake Bogoria earlier than anticipated, making it the only lake in Rift Valley hosting flamingos then.
Migration
The unique spectacle usually takes place in May where the lake hosts half the population of the world's flamingos after breeding. The birds migrate to Tanzania for breeding in November and come back mid-June.
According to the lake Baringo National Reserve Senior Warden James Kimaru, the drastic rise in water levels has led to an exodus to Nakuru, Elementaita and Lokipi.
“We were banking on reaping big from the tourism sector this year after millions of flamingoes migrated to the Lake from Tanzania in January earlier than anticipated. We have never received such a high number for close to two decades. However, the flooding at the Lake has made the birds migrate because of limited food and where to perch,” said Mr Kimaru.
