Shompole

Shompole is a Conservancy which has been set aside for the wildlife by banning cattle and people from freely roaming and using the area. With a rich biodiversity, the conservancy has in abundance amongst many other animals, lion, buffalo, wild dog, elephant, golden jackal and honey badgers.

The land within the conservancy varies from arid salt savannah plains to lush swamp and riverine forest. The plains are ideal for exploring on walking safaris, and activities offered elsewhere in the area include game drives, night drives, river tubing and excursions to Lake Natron.

Lake Natron is another Rift Valley Lake, alongside other notable lakes including Lake Kivu in Rwanda, Lake Nyassa in Malawi and Lake Turkana, also in Kenya. Saline, with a deep red colour in the dry season, this is a breeding area for 2.5 million lesser flamingos, which thrive on bacteria that are a result of the salinity of the water. The caustic nature of the mud around the lake deters predators, and there are hot springs here which can be enjoyed by human visitors. This is one of the best place in the world to see the endangered birds, as well as the endemic alkaline tilapa.

Back to Kenya