Tourism boom in Baringo as millions of flamingos flock Lake Bogoria from Tanzania

The tourism sector in Baringo County is enjoying a boom after millions of flamingos migrated to Lake Bogoria after a successful breeding season in Lake Natron in Tanzania.

The beautiful birds, which normally return between September and October arrived recently with hundreds of young flamingos.

A spot check by AVDelta News on a tour to the lake found millions of the birds forming a beautiful pink pattern on the lake which has become a great attraction in the region.

According to Lake Bogoria Senior Warden James Kimaru, the breeding season of the flamingos is between February to April every year where they usually migrate to Lake Natron, a salt lake located in Northern Tanzania and come back in August.

“The birds have kept their migration constant for the past seven years which often kick off between August and October. They spend between four and five months in Kenya, then fly back to Lake Natron for breeding,” Mr Kimaru told AVDelta News.

“They have come in large numbers and they all look healthy, signifying a successful breeding season. The birds often fly back to Kenya to spend more time and feed after a successful breeding season,” added the warden.

According to Mr Kimaru, the birds flocking back at Lake Bogoria often coincides with tourism peak season which he says has seen tourism numbers grow.

Major tourist hotels in the area which usually offer accommodation facilities are enjoying high tourist turnout with high bookings being experienced.

Lake Bogoria Spa Resort Manager Lydia Dentewo in an interview said their facilities were stretched almost to the limit following the birds’ migration with their hotel rooms fully booked.

“Our accommodation facilities are fully booked for the next two(2) months. We are in the process of setting up more than 120 more rooms and tented camps to cope with the high number of customers seeking accommodation,” Ms Dentewo told AVDelta News.

Lake Bogoria is a World Heritage Site under the Kenya Lake System which also comprises lakes Nakuru and Elementaita.

Flamingo population at Lake Nakuru has however, decreased over years which has been attributed to the increasing water levels in the lake and pollution which has seen Lake Bogoria host larger populations of flamingos in the region.

A recent report on the status of World Heritage sites in Africa proposed that other lakes, which play a critical role in survival of flamingos, be included on the World Heritage List. The lakes include Lake Natron in Tanzania, a key breeding haven for flamingos.

The flamingos, the report said, mainly nest in Tanzania’s Lake Natron, while the flocks also exist in Lakes Manyara and Eyasi and in Ethiopian lakes such as Lakes Abijatta, Shalla, Metehara, Chitu, and Aranguade.