Wet extremes

Over many years, the seasonal cycles of wet and dry come and go. The extremely heavy summer rains this year have certainly transformed the park in many ways, including wonderful green growth.

The rains began promptly at the beginning of November. To start with, there were not many flood situations, as the ground was dry and much water was absorbed.

Soon roads turned into rivers, and normally dry grasslands became wetlands. The park is indeed starting to look more like Lake Nairobi National Park. With this constant heavy rain, many of the roads became impassible for almost any vehicle. Many 4x4 vehicles have had to be rescued with tractors, winches and various other muddy methods.

As we all know, water brings the rain that sustains precious life. Life is balanced on the “come and go” of the seasons. However, even as water is precious and life giving, there is a point where extreme rains can result in huge amounts of water, causing massive flooding in many places. At this point, water can start to become increasingly dangerous, especially when normally relatively dry streams suddenly become raging torrents almost overnight.

People who intend to visit the park need to be warned by the Kenya Wildlife Service regarding possible flood dangers, as certain roads can become virtually impassable. I believe it to be good practice for KWS to temporarily close such roads until the rains reduce and the terrain is safe to navigate through. In previous years, I recall a sad incident where two KWS employees were drowned as their vehicle was washed away in a flooded stream.

The park is looking lush and green at the moment. However, please note that extreme rains call for extreme caution. Take care out there! Drive Safely!

For more information on the park you can link to the following website: www.kws.org