Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park, established in 1946 about 7 kilometers south of the Kenyan capital, was the country's first national park and covers about 117.21 square kilometers at an elevation of 1,533 to 1,760 meters. Three sides of the park are fenced while its southern boundary stays open, allowing wildlife to migrate to the adjoining Kitengela plains, and despite its small size and urban setting it holds lion, leopard, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, black rhinoceros, buffalo, elephant, cheetah, hippopotamus and roughly 500 bird species. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates its orphaned elephant and rhino sanctuary within the park, though the park faces continuing pressure from Nairobi's urbanization, grazing livestock and poaching.