Kenya - Mombasa North Coast Haller Park nature trails

Giant Tortoise 'Mzee'

Moving on from Old Town Mombasa we headed up to Bamburi on the North coast.

Our destination was Haller Park and the nature trails within this former quarry. There is a large variety of plants , trees and animal species to explore among the many paths. 

We wouldn't get lost today though because our ticket included a guided tour.

The landscaping began in 1971 in an effort to repair the scarred landscape. Over the subsequent years a large number of mammals and birds were introduced.

Finding plants that could cope with the limestone base and the severe heat proved difficult.  The casuarina was found to be an ideal partner. It has adapted to grow under severe conditions. Its branchlets look like pine needles and have a strong outer surface skin which protects the tree against loss of water. The Casuarina can tolerate salty water which seemed perfect for the environment.

Marina and the Giant Tortoise

Protecting the environment is top priority in everything they do. It soon became apparent that the needles shed by the  Casuarina were not breaking down due to their high tannin content.

Haller observed a Red Legged Millipede feeding on the needles. As a result they introduced hundreds of the creatures onto the forest floor .

The droppings of the millipede while feeding on the Casuarina needles made it easier for bacteria to break down resulting in a rich layer of humus allowing other plant species to grow.

It was lovely to see the Old Giant Tortoise. I heard that he can be quite elusive at times so maybe we struck lucky?

More Giraffes

 The introduction of the millipedes into the Casuarina forest triggered a chain reaction of colonisation by plants and animals. The creation of new habitats attracted birds, insects and mammals. Some larger mammals were introduced while others moved in.

There was no shortage of Monkey's that is for sure. Got to watch your back as they will have it away with anything that catches their eye. Morris (our driver) had his packed lunch stolen out of his car while opening the boot of his vehicle.

Cheeky Monkey (with young)

Kingfisher

Going slightly off piste it was an unexpected treat  to see a Kingfisher doing what it does best. Diving from its perch into the pond and coming up with a fish in it's beak.
Also lots of ball shape nests around the pond made by the Weaver Birds.

Getting back on track again it was feeding time for the Hippos.

The Hippos seem to know instinctively when it's grub time. It's not a quck process though leaving the water and making their way to the feeding point. 

They emerge from their lake bringing with them a garland of weed as the make a steady rather than spectacular plod.

One of the Hippos 'Owen' is an orphan of the 

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
and was brought to the Haller Park rescue centre. Having no other hippos to interact with, Owen immediately attempted to bond with Mzee (Swahili for Old Man)the Giant Tortoise.

The  large domed shell and brown color resembled an adult hippo. 'Mzee' was reluctant about Owen at first but grew to like him and got used to Owen around him.

'Owen'

Feeding together

The highlight and the part I was most looking forward to was the feeding of the crocodiles.
The Crocodiles or Mambas as they are also know draw a lot of visitors at feeding time.So I strategically placed myself with the sun obscured by the trees to try and get better photos. On my previous wander around I had already noticed a few giants floating around.

Huge Crocs

It all starts of quite sedately really as a few crocs start to gather in anticipation. It then very quickly turns into a frenzy...

It reminded me of the line out at a Rugby Union match. Everyone goes up for the ball but only one actually catches it! In this case substitute the ball for a chicken carcass. The Ranger winches the chicken across the water, it is then suspended a few feet in the air. The crocodiles jostle for position before making their play. There are quite a few missed attempts before the victor emerges with the spoils. Or rather he doesn't really as it is gulped down instantaneously with little finesse.

They are awesome beasts, the power they must generate to pull themselves out of the water is just incredible! We enjoyed the visit and stayed until closing time. Unfortunately we had the opposite return journey, just horrendous. We hit rush hour traffic which didn't move and there  seemed to be something akin to 'Operation Stack' taking place. When we did eventually start moving we hit more massive tailbacks near the ferry terminus. 

Of the four ferries only one was running for whatever reason. We spent a further three hours in the queue ..... It was hot and sticky and darkness was falling. All we could do was to sit it out and wait.
We eventually got back to the hotel at 9:45 pm having left at 9 am. We just about made it to the restaurant that closed at 10 pm . What a day !.