Investigating why Lake Nakuru National park is flooded

Lake Nakuru National Park has got a lot of coverage lately following the unprecedented flooding in parts of the park. The flood waters have cut off some of the driving routes in the park. The park’s entrance has been particularly affected; the flood waters have spread to the parking lot.

The above picture, published in the Nation newspaper, depicts the extent of the flooding. The building is the Kenya Wildlife Services office in the park. The same picture angle is likely to be used by television crew when covering the flood story, a UAV however can bring out rich footage and give journalists a view from above at a low cost compared to hiring a helicopter. 

Kamal, James, Kevin and I left Nairobi at 7am for the two hour journey to Lake Nakuru National park. We set out to capture the extent of the flooding in the park and to understand the cause and the effects of the floods. I spoke to Adan Kala, the park’s senior warden. He told me the levels of all the lakes in the Rift Valley had increased. He attributed the rising water levels to afforestation of the Mau forest; which has been marked for conservation efforts, after years of illegal logging. He also said that the heavy rainfall in the Rift Valley area cannot be ruled out as a reason for the rising water levels. He also suggested that the we could be witnessing effects of climate change;he said some seasonal rivers that feed Lake Nakuru have not dried up for a year and a half.

Mr Kala told me that experts are concerned about the phenomena and attendant effects and have convened a conference in Naivasha, next month. I asked him about the flamingoes, the park’s main attraction, he said the birds had migrated to Lake Bogoria, and that the migration cannot necessarily be attributed to the flooding since its level had also increased. He however said that it’s likely that the hot springs at Lake Bogoria created the right conditions for algae to grow, better than Lake Nakuru, which flamingoes feed on.

SkyCAM’s inaugural flight was as Baboon Cliff, another attraction in the park.  Despite strong winds and the morning drizzle, the flight was smooth. Kamal, our pilot for the day, expertly controlled the drone, A DJI Phantom, to about 80ft and stabilized. The buzzing noise attracted curiosity of some tourists with some taking pictures of the drone. James and Kevin, were the cameramen for the day, complementing the aerial shots taken by the drone. We also deployed the drone at the park’s only waterfall.

The Kenya Wildlife service, who manage the park, have curved new roads in the park, the game drive is still as enjoyable. The animals have moved to the southern part of the park which is not flooded. Visitors can still enjoy the beauty and diversity of the flora and fauna the park has to offer. We got a good view of two male lions before we left the park, well pleased that we have opened a new front for journalism in Kenya.