kenya
From top : A Maasai giraffe in front of Mount Kilimanjaro ; a Nile crocodile in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Lesser-visited Samburu National Park is dry and dusty with rocky outcrops and hills sustained by the Ewaso Nyiro River . Together with the remote northern Kenyan conservancies , it harbors some desert-specialist animals not so easily seen elsewhere , including Grévy ’ s zebras , reticulated giraffes , wild dogs and longnecked gerenuk antelopes . On the Ethiopian border , you ’ ll find Turkana , the world ’ s largest permanent desert lake , home to thousands of crocodiles .
Surprisingly , you don ’ t even have to leave Kenya ’ s capital to see wildlife . Elephants are absent but Nairobi National Park , with its strange backdrop of sparkling skyscrapers , has rhinos , giraffes and plenty of plains game that are prey for its lions and hyenas . images : awl images
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Symbolizing strength and courage , the lion is Kenya ’ s national animal . They ’ re easily seen in the Maasai Mara , Laikipia and the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem , and are sleepy creatures in the heat of the day , hunting mostly in the cooler early mornings or evenings . During the migration , wildebeest provide many a predator ’ s meal . Gawky and graceless , with long faces , thick necks , sloping shoulders and puny hips , local legend has it that God created them using leftover bits of other animals . Yet , en masse , they have a certain allure , their hides a glossy palette of gray , mink , brown and black .
Among Kenya ’ s estimated 34,000 elephants are the iconic but incredibly spring 2025 • 41