Description

This lake is referred to as "The healing place" and is just about 3 hours drive from Lake Nakuru. It is home to one of the largest populations of the lesser flamingoes. The lake is geothermically active on the western shore, with geysers and hot springs.

The lake lies in a trough below the Ngendelel Escarpment, a sheer wall 600 metres (2,000 ft) high. The lake covers 32 square kilometres (12 sq mi). It is geothermically active on the western shore, with geysers and hot springs.The geologist J.W. Gregory described the lake in 1892 as "the most beautiful view in Africa" The reserve is in a semi-arid area. The only major river feeding the lake is the Waseges River, which rises on the northern slopes of the Aberdare Range.

The Waseges runs through productive agricultural land higher up, through bush and scrub used for grazing, and then through very dry bush before entering the lake at its northern end.The lake is surrounded by grasslands dotted with bushes. There is acacia-ficus woodland to the south, and the north merges into a papyrus swamp. The park was opened in November 1970. Facilities for tourists include the park lodge, three public campsites and one privately operated campsite. Visitors may also bathe in the hot springs, which form a natural spa.[6] The reserve was submitted as a candidate World Heritage Site in 1999.

Ecology

The lake is alkaline, feeding blue-green algae which in turn feed flamingoes. At times the number of flamingoes feeding in the lake may be as high as two million. Raptors such as tawny eagles prey on the flamingoes. In total, 135 species of bird have been recorded. They include little grebe, pratincole, swift, little bee-eater, cape wigeon, yellow-billed stork, African spoonbill, augur buzzard, gabar goshawk, water dikkop, great tit, starling, hornbill and crombec.

The reserve has a herd of the relatively uncommon Greater Kudu. Other large mammals include buffalo, zebra, cheetah, baboon, warthog, caracal, spotted hyena, impala and dik dik. The Waseges flows through regions of intensive coffee cultivation where heavy use is made of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which may be polluting the lake. Many visitors are attracted to the hot springs on the western lakeshore, and these cause pollution from solid wastes. Siltation is another threat to biodiversity.

Rules & Regulations

Respect the privacy of the wildlife, this is their habitat. Beware of the animals, they are wild and can be unpredictable. Don't crowd the animals or make sudden noises or movements. Don't feed the animals, it upsets

Wildlife & Birds

Title	Conservation Status
Cheetah	Vulnerable
Madagascar pratincole	Vulnerable
Swifts	Least Concern
Spotted Hyena	Least Concern
African buffalo	Least Concern
Hippopotamuses	Vulnerable
Greater Kudu	Least Concern
Grebes	Least Concern
Grévy's zebra	Endangered
African Fish Eagle	Least Concern
Black-headed Heron	Least Concern

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