Introduction to natural reserves: Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park is a renowned wildlife conservation area that attracts thousands of visitors to come for its stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity. It is especially well-known for its elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro. Numerous photographers are attracted there just to capture the scene of elephants traveling under Mount Kilimanjaro. This scene also occurs in the movie The Lion King, becoming a classical and symbolic representation of Africa.
History
In 1883, Thompson Joseph discovered this area, and his name is honored in the Thompson’s gazelle. In 1899, the colonial government established the Southern Maasai Reserve, initially restricting the Maasai people’s residence. This restriction was removed in 1948, when, keen to preserve the wildlife by creating the Amboseli Reserve, the government at the same time permitted the Maasai people access to the entire area. Later still, in 1961, Kajiado District Council took control, only for the land to suffer due to tourism and encroachment. In 1974, President Jomo Kenyatta opted to protect the area by granting national park status. Most recently, in 1991, Amboseli became a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve. Chyulu Hills became a national park in 1983.[2] In 2005, Amboseli National Park was downgraded to a game reserve temporarily. In 2010, the high court found this move illegal, and recovered Amboseli’s status as a national park.
Geological conditions
Amboseli National Park is located in southern Kenya, near the border between Kenya and Tanzania. It is about 200 kilometers away from the capital, Nairobi, approximately 4 hours to drive from Nairobi to there.
As I have mentioned, Amboseli National Park is famous for its elephant herds. Elephants in Amboseli often appear together in large numbers. Their traveling makes Amboseli exceptionally unique among all the national parks. According to one of the workers I interviewed, Amboseli National Park has roughly 1000 elephants inhabiting inside, which is quite an impressive statistic, considering its relatively small area.
Mentioning the area, Amboseli National Park has an area of approximately 9,206 ha (392.06 km2), at the core of an 8,000 km2 ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania Border. [1] At Amboseli, you can see Mount Kilimanjaro on a sunny day in the distance. This is one of the most iconic and prestigious scenery in Kenya.
Except for Mount Kilimanjaro, the most prominent observation hill, there are also other natural sceneries in Amboseli. There are vast savannahs and swamps, and the Sinet Delta, a prime location for bird spotting.
Biodiversity
The biodiversity in Amboseli is incredible. In Amboseli, you will be able to see the four members of the prestigious “big five” of Africa-lion, leopard, buffalo, and elephant. The most common in Amboseli is the elephant, while the other three members may be a little difficult to find. There are roughly 50 herds of elephants residing inside the park, which is really impressive. [2]I visited Amboseli in person in August, and I only found elephants in the park. The other three members are well hidden in the vast grasslands, bushes, and swamps.
Amboseli is also the home to over 100 lions, loads of Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, Burchell’s zebra, Maasai giraffe, wildebeest, hartebeest, eland, and waterbuck. Hippo may be spotted in the west of the region, in Lake Kioko. [3]
Additionally, there are over 400 species of birds in Amboseli recorded to date. Such a great number makes Amboseli an exceptionally favorable place for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Protection rules and policies:
As a wildlife conservation area, Amboseli National Park has strict rules about wildlife conservation. Its management is basically based on the Environmental Management and Coordination Act, the Forest Act, and the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act in Kenya.
I saw Maasai people grazing in Amboseli. Then, I interviewed a KWS worker about the legality of this act. He said there are specific restrictions on the time for herdsmen to enter the park. They are not always allowed to graze in the national park, but only within particular periods of time.
Additionally, as tourism skyrockets in Kenya, strict policies about tourist behaviors are established to minimize the effect of tourism on the natural resources and the wildlife in Amboseli. I cited some park rules and regulations below:
- Driving in the parks is allowed between 6 am and 6 pm only.
- The speed limit in the parks is 50km/h and 25km/h in the Nyerere Park.
- Animals always have the right of way.
- Never feed animals. It will upset their diet and lead to an unnecessary dependence on people.
- Keep to the authorized tracks only.
- Do not pick, cut or destroy any vegetation or remove any object of biological interest, including eggs, bones and trophies.
- Camping is allowed only in designated sites.
- Picnicking is allowed only at designated sites.
- Do not disturb or harass the wildlife in any way. Radios and music players are forbidden. Please do not imitate animal’s sounds, clap or pound on vehicle or hoot. Do not throw objects to attract animal’s attention.
- Do not litter. Keep your waste in the vehicle until it can be properly disposed later at your lodge or camp. Litter can choke or poison animals and birds.
- Do not smoke while on game drive and always dispose cigarettes carefully. A burning cigarette can start a wild fire that would cause damage to vegetation and suffering to wildlife and people.
- Do not light or cause fire to be lit. If camping, be sure to extinguish your fire carefully.
- All visitors must remain in their vehicle within 200 meters of any game animal. Leaving the vehicle in the parks is forbidden except in designated places.
- Discourage your driver from approaching the animals too close (25 meters). Lions, cheetahs and leopards are especially nervous; a vehicle can hinder their hunting or make them leave a hard earned meal. Your driver may be banned from the area and/or lose his job.
- Domestic pets are forbidden in the parks.
- It’s is not allowed to use/operate drones in any park.
Leave the park undisturbed by not leaving or removing anything, animate or inanimate.
Our ecosystem depends on a very delicate balance. The less we disturb it, the longer we can enjoy it.
These rules ensure the minimization of human impact on the wildlife inhabiting, more information will be provided in my blog about the interview with the local workers.
Kenya Wildlife Service is responsible for the overall management and implementation of policies. In 2025, the daily management was decentralized to the Kajiado County Government.
Reference:
[1] Wikipedia. (2022). Amboseli National Park. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboseli_National_Park.
[2] Yellow Zebra Safaris (2022). Tanzania Safaris, cheetah in the Serengeti plains. [online] Yellowzebrasafaris.com. Available at: https://yellowzebrasafaris.com/us/kenya/where-to-go/amboseli-the-chyulu-hills/ [Accessed 1 Sep. 2025].
[3] www.kws.go.ke. (n.d.). Amboseli National Park | Kenya Wildlife Service. [online] Available at: https://www.kws.go.ke/amboseli-national-park.