Wildlife

Amboseli is home to all of the Big Five. The park is a stronghold for elephants, and you’ll commonly find them with a reddish appearance from the distinctive red soil of the area. Tsavo is also famous for its maneless lions. The most localized of the many dry country specials that can be found here is the fringe-eared oryx.

Amboseli has a good range of unusual antelope. This is one of the few places to see the fringed-eared oryx. The lesser kudu is very shy, but can sometimes be seen darting off into the bushes. The long-necked gerenuk can be found standing on its hind-legs to reach the sparse foliage of trees and bushes. With some luck, you might spot the critically endangered hirola or Hunter’s hartebeest.

Scenery

Amboseli offers miles of open plains, bushy grassland and semi-arid shrub. The Galana river is a major feature in the park and is fringed by riverine forests. Another scenic highlight is Mudanda rock, a towering, quartzite (hard, metamorphic rock) formation.

Wildlife & Climate

Amboseli is a hot and dry place, even if temperatures drop significantly at night. The best place to escape the heat is the higher altitudes of the park, where it cools by 6.5 Deg Celcius /3.5 Deg Fahrenheit for every 1000m/1000ft you climb. The Dry season (June to September) is characterized by bright, sunny days, and the Wet season (October to May) by afternoon showers.

Best Time for Viewing

The best wildlife viewing in Amboseli National Park is in the Dry season (June to October), although the park is worth a visit any time of the year. During the Dry season, the vegetation is minimal, and animals tend to hang around the few available water sources.