Amboseli National Park

🇰🇪 Kenya

🐘 Elephant Kingdom of Amboseli

🌍 #15 Global · 4.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #11 in Africa #11 in Savanna & Grassland

East Africa, Kenya 1272 spp. recorded

Amboseli National Park is a tropical savanna reserve situated in southern Kenya, featuring open grasslands, sparse acacia woodlands, and seasonal marshlands beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. This low-relief landscape lacks dense forests, offering wide horizons where volcanic dust flats stretch between muddy swamps and dry acacia tracks.

-2.623° S 37.204° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

Lion

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

50–60% · Likely

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Blacksmith Lapwing

Vanellus armatus

70–80% · Very likely

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

70–80% · Very likely

Grey Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum

70–80% · Very likely

Superb Starling

Lamprotornis superbus

60–70% · Likely

African Jacana

Actophilornis africanus

60–70% · Likely

Crowned Lapwing

Vanellus coronatus

60–70% · Likely

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

60–70% · Likely

Thomson's Gazelle

Eudorcas thomsonii

60–70% · Likely

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

60–70% · Likely

Grant's Gazelle

Nanger granti

60–70% · Likely

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelus

50–60% · Likely

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

Lion

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

50–60% · Likely

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

60–70% · Likely

Thomson's Gazelle

Eudorcas thomsonii

60–70% · Likely

Grant's Gazelle

Nanger granti

60–70% · Likely

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

50–60% · Likely

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

50–60% · Likely

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

50–60% · Likely

Yellow Baboon

Papio cynocephalus

50–60% · Likely

Bohor Reedbuck

Redunca redunca

50–60% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

50–60% · Likely

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

40–50% · Likely

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

40–50% · Likely

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Blacksmith Lapwing

Vanellus armatus

70–80% · Very likely

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

70–80% · Very likely

Grey Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum

70–80% · Very likely

Superb Starling

Lamprotornis superbus

60–70% · Likely

African Jacana

Actophilornis africanus

60–70% · Likely

Crowned Lapwing

Vanellus coronatus

60–70% · Likely

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

60–70% · Likely

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelus

50–60% · Likely

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

50–60% · Likely

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

50–60% · Likely

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus

50–60% · Likely

Long-toed Lapwing

Vanellus crassirostris

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Kenyan Rock Agama

Agama lionotus

20–30% · Possible

African Striped Skink

Trachylepis striata

20–30% · Possible

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

Insufficient data

Graceful Chameleon

Chamaeleo gracilis

Insufficient data

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

Insufficient data

Common Long-tailed Lizard

Latastia longicaudata

Insufficient data

Southern African Python

Python natalensis

Insufficient data

Rock Monitor

Varanus albigularis

Insufficient data

Painted Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus picturatus

Insufficient data

Red Spitting Cobra

Naja pallida

Insufficient data

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

Insufficient data

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Nile Ridged Frog

Ptychadena nilotica

Insufficient data

Subdesert Toad

Sclerophrys xeros

Insufficient data

African Common Toad

Sclerophrys gutturalis

Insufficient data

Müller's Platanna

Xenopus muelleri

Insufficient data

Senegal Kassina

Kassina senegalensis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Elephant Peak Activity

Mar

Elephants congregate in large numbers around the permanent swamps and marshes to feed on lush papyrus and green flush during early seasonal transitions.

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

🐦

Flamigreen Wetland Rains

MarSep

Seasonal rains fill the vast, dry Amboseli lake bed, attracting massive flocks of lesser and greater flamingos to the shallow alkaline waters.

Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

40–50% · Likely

🦌

Predator Activity Peak

MayJunOct

Lions and hyenas take advantage of congregating plains game as water sources fluctuate, creating dramatic wildlife interactions.

Lion

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

African Bush Elephant

60–70

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

30–40

30–40

50–60

40–50

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

70–80

50–60

40–50

East African Giraffe

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

Blue Wildebeest

50–60

80–90

80–90

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

Blacksmith Lapwing

80–90

60–70

80–90

80–90

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

Grey Crowned Crane

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

Superb Starling

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

Crowned Lapwing

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

Thomson's Gazelle

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

70–80

50–60

50–60

70–80

60–70

30–40

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

Grant's Gazelle

40–50

70–80

60–70

40–50

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

40–50

60–70

70–80

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

40–50

50–60

Animal Events

🦌 Elephant Peak Activity

🐦 Flamigreen Wetland Rains

🦌 Predator Activity Peak

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class

🐘 Elephant Kingdom of Amboseli

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

864

🐒 Mammals

240

🦎 Reptiles

137

🐸 Amphibians

31

1272 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

44 Threatened 9 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

68%

📊

Coverage (276 species at ≥5% of 1272 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

22%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 5 mammal)

47% Global avg

65%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

194

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

32

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

51

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