It’s one of the most iconic images of Africa: snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro rising from the African savannah. This view from Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, often dotted with elephants in the foreground, is how many people imagine an African safari to be. Moreover, Amboseli is one of the best places on the continent to see wildlife. Its bounty of animals, however, isn’t owed to just Mother Nature, but also to the fact that the park is an epicenter for some of the most significant conservation work being carried out in East Africa.
Here, we delve into the park’s wildlife riches and the key conservation and ecotourism programs ensuring its survival.
The Greater Amboseli Basin Ecosystem
At just 392 sq km (151 sq miles), Amboseli National Park represents only a small proportion of an ecosystem that extends across the Amboseli Basin. Existing in the rain shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is characterized by arid land, save for the swamps and waterholes fed by underground aquifers rich with rainwater filtering down from Africa’s highest mountain. The Amboseli Basin is bordered by two other national parks: the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West, one of Kenya’s largest protected areas. Where the basin is not protected by national parks, it transitions into communal Maasai ranches, where Maasai communities reside and tend to their cattle. The Amboseli Basin harbors around 1500 elephants, 150 lions, 35,000 Maasai, and two million livestock.
The Diversity of Wildlife in Amboseli National Park
Although Amboseli may be small, it contains an extraordinary diversity of habitats. In the eastern part of the park, the acacia forests near Kimana Gate are a favored locale for giraffes. As visitors proceed further into the park from Kimana, the open plains present classic savannah landscapes, ideal for cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and, with tall grasses nearby, lions that stalk wildebeests, zebras, and buffalos. In the heart of the park, the deep greens of the Enkongo Narok, Olokenya, and Longinye marshes provide refuge for hippos and waterbirds, along with the elephants that symbolize the park. Despite poaching making elephants elusive in other regions of Africa, Amboseli remains a sanctuary for large-tusked elephants; over a thousand elephants reside here, offering exceptional close-up viewing opportunities.
The Key Conservation Programs Protecting Wildlife
1. Amboseli Trust for Elephants
The only major conservation program operating within the boundaries of Amboseli National Park, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants has been dedicated to studying the park’s elephants for decades. It’s overseen by the renowned elephant conservationist Dr. Cynthia Moss, known for her work behind the legendary elephant documentary Echo of the Elephants. The research camp, filled with giant elephant skulls, is not available for independent visitors, although larger groups can arrange a paid visit, which includes an hour-long lecture on the Trust’s efforts and Amboseli’s elephants in general.
2. Big Life Foundation
Based on Mbirikani Group Ranch, Big Life Foundation is the initiative of veteran conservationist Richard Bonham. The team of armed anti-poaching rangers actively works to protect Amboseli’s elephants and the small population of rhinos in the Chyulu Hills. Since its inception in 2010, Big Life’s rangers have been patrolling both sides of the Kenya-Tanzania border, resulting in more than 3200 arrests and a significant decrease in successful poaching cases. The program operates from Ol Donyo, a luxurious lodge situated on the lower slopes of the Chyulu Hills, offering uninterrupted views of Mt Kilimanjaro.
3. Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust
In the eastern part of the Amboseli Basin, adjacent to Tsavo West National Park on Kuku Group Ranch, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust implements an impressive range of conservation and ecotourism programs. These initiatives include preventing conflict between lions and local Maasai communities, enhancing community well-being through education and health programs, environmental education, and combating deforestation. Central to their operations are the Simba Scouts (local Maasai rangers) and the Wildlife Pays initiative, which compensates local communities for the wildlife residing on their land. The Trust is based at Campi ya Kanzi, a luxury camp featuring exquisite tents and public areas that evoke the nostalgia of early 20th-century safaris while actively working to minimize their carbon footprint.
4. Lion Guardians
One of Africa’s innovative lion conservation programs, the Lion Guardians leverage Maasai traditions to save the lions of Amboseli. Historically, young Maasai men validated their status as warriors by hunting lions using a spear; this practice led to conflicts over livestock incurred by big cats. In contrast, under the Lion Guardians initiative, former lion hunters transition to protectors. They actively engage the youth in Maasai communities to deter lion hunts and help herders build stronger enclosures for livestock. Thanks to their efforts, lion hunts have drastically declined, lion populations are recovering, and this model of coexistence has been successfully replicated in other regions, including Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Although the project is based north of the national park, it is not open to visitors.
