Established in 1946, Nairobi National Park is the first national park in Kenya and it encompasses 28,963 acres of land. It is only four miles south of the heart of the city with an electric fence separating the animals from the busy metropolis. In fact, Nairobi’s skyscrapers can be seen gracing the skyline behind the park making for some amazing photographs since it is the only natural safari park that has a cityscape background. On its southern border, the park is bound by the Mbagathi River which is unfenced and open to the Kitengela Conservation Area. The park has a wide range of habitats though it is predominately made up of open grass plains but also includes riverine forest, highland dry forests, and deep rocky valleys and gorges.

The park has a wide variety of animals found within its borders including one hundred mammal species. Some of the wildlife found here include Cape buffaloes, baboons, black rhinos, gazelles, cheetah, hartebeest, leopards, Masai lions, elands, impala, giraffes, waterbucks, and many more. Grazing animals including wildebeest and zebras use the Kitengela Conservation area to migrate through to the Athi-Kapiti plains.