science

Wildlife of Kenya

Wildlife of Kenya is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wildlife of Kenya rather than just read about it. In short: The wildlife of Kenya refers to its fauna. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals.

Key takeaways

Wildlife of Kenya belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wildlife of Kenya to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wildlife of Kenya from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The wildlife of Kenya refers to its fauna. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals. Mammal species include lion (Panthera leo), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), wildebeest (Connochaetes), African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), zebra (Equus), giraffe (Giraffa), and rhinoceros. Kenya has a very diverse population of birds, including flamingo and common ostrich (Struthio camelus).

Fauna

Mammals

Large plains herbivores Common eland The largest of the antelope in the savannah, lives in most national parks and reserves. Wildebeest Share grazing with zebra and stay in groups, lives in places like Nairobi National Park and Amboseli National Park. It also visits Masaai Mara National Reserve in great numbers during the spring as part of the annual great migration. African buffalo Known to be the most dangerous animal in Africa. They can be found in most national parks and reserves. Black and white rhinoceros Most black and white species are being relocated to safe places because of their endangerment, but there are still many wild rhinos roaming Kenya. Although there are few places to see them, they can be found at Nairobi National Park, Tsavo National Park, Masaai Mara and Aberdares National Park. Both species are abundant in Lake Nakuru National Park and Lewa Downs. Elephant Found in many different habitats in Kenya. They can be found from the hot coastlands to the cool moorlands of the Aberdares and Mount Kenya range. A few of these places are Aberdares National Park, Meru National Park, Samburu National Reserve, Maasai Mara, Tsavo National Park and Amboseli National Park. Giraffe Have little competition for the tender leaves of the acacia tree, their principal food.

Aquatic herbivores Hippopotamus Irritable and normally cranky, are very dangerous. They are found in many of Kenya's basins, swamps, and areas with water. Some other places to find them are Nairobi National Park, Meru National Park, and Kora National Park.

Medium-sized herbivores Impala A medium-sized antelope often found in large herds, and known for its leaping ability. Common warthog A type of wild pig. Waterbuck A medium-sized antelope often found near sources of water, are known for excreting a scent that makes them unappetizing to most predators. Two subspecies, the common and defassa waterbuck are present in Kenya. Lesser kudu The smaller relative of the significantly larger greater kudu, the lesser kudu is often a rare sight but common throughout the drier parts of the country.

Small herbivores Suni A small antelope similar to the oribi and duiker. They travel in groups of two or alone. They can be found in different areas in Kenya. Oribi They travel alone or in groups of two or three. They are similar to the suni and the duiker. Duiker Normally travel alone but sometimes go in pairs. They are similar to the suni and oribi. Thomson's gazelle and Grant's gazelle A common sight across the plains of Kenya, they are often found in small or large herds and are the favored prey of the cheetah. Two species, the more common Thomson's gazelle and the larger Grant's gazelle live across the country.

Predators Lion A powerful predator which uses its power to its advantage. It can be found all over Kenya, especially in Nairobi National Park, Mount Kenya National Park, and Kora National Park. Leopard Another predator which, like the lion, uses brute force. They hunt at night and use their eyesight to spot and kill their prey. They can be found at Nairobi National Park, Mount Kenya National Park, Meru National Park, Kora National Park and over almost all of Kenya. Cheetah A big cat that lives in places like Nairobi National Park, Meru National Park and Kora National Park. African wild dog A predator that roams over parts of Kenya in packs. The African Wild Dog Conservancy is actively engaged in helping to save this endangered species from extinction. Spotted hyena A powerful predator that sometimes travels in groups. They have the strongest jaw pressure and most powerful bite out of any animal in Kenya except for the Nile crocodile. Both the spotted and striped variety of hyena can be found at Nairobi National Park, Mount Kenya National Park, and Kora National Park. Serval One of the small wild cat species in Kenya. Genet A small viverrid that lives in Kenya. Black-backed jackal A small dog-like predator that travels in small groups across Kenya.

Birds

Reptiles Nile crocodile A large, powerful reptile that has been known to attack and kill people. It inhabits many areas of Kenya.

National parks

Nairobi National Park Mount Kenya National Park Meru National Park Kora National Park Sibiloi National Park Amboseli National Park Tsavo East National Park Tsavo West National Park Lake Nakuru National Park Hell's Gate National Park Chyulu Hills National Park Marsabit National Park Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park Aberdare National Park Saiwa Swamp National Park

Reserves Maasai Mara Samburu National Reserve Buffalo Springs National Reserve Shaba National Reserve Shimba Hills National Reserve Kisumu Impala Sanctuary Lewa Downs ← a conservancy

See also Elephant hunting in Kenya Maasai Mara conservancies

References

External links Kenya Wildlife Service, a state corporation Wild Dog Conservancy, a nonprofit

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wildlife of Kenya

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wildlife of Kenya claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wildlife of Kenya before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wildlife of Kenya ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wildlife of Kenya

In research: Wildlife of Kenya appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wildlife of Kenya in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wildlife of Kenya is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Biota of Kenya, Fauna of Kenya, Tourism in Kenya, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wildlife of Kenya outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wildlife of Kenya in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wildlife of Kenya means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wildlife of Kenya out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wildlife of Kenya in simple terms?

The wildlife of Kenya refers to its fauna. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals.

Why does Wildlife of Kenya matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wildlife of Kenya?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wildlife of Kenya.