Amboseli National Park marshes

Within the Amboseli National Park there are some lakes and several swamps and marshes that are vital sources of water for all the animals living in these lands.

 

The salt marshes, with their intense and bright green, stand out in contrast in the arid and dusty plain of the Park.

 

They are found mainly in the central part of the park and the most extensive are Enkongo or Ngong Narok Narok, Engone Naibor, Ol Tukai, Longinye and Ologinya or Ol Okenya; they are fed by spring water coming from the melting snows of the Mount Kilimanjaro that penetrates the volcanic soil, down into the valley and then resurfaces in this very area of the Amboseli National Park thanks to the porosity of the soil.

 

The fresh water of these swamps, as well as being the only permanent source of water for all the animals of the park, is the ideal habitat for hippos and many species of water birds such as herons, black-winged stilts, kingfishers, egrets and white pelicans.

 

Even the elephants prefer this area, being dependent on water, they are often seen in flocks going to the swamps for drinking and getting wet with water, or soaking.