Last week, thousands of gazelle, zebra and wildebeest left Nairobi National Park and crossed the flooded Kitengela River to reach the Kitengela Plains following the onset of rains in Kajiado. According to local residents this is an annual occurrence. Apparently, with the onset of heavy rains, and the promise of grazing available elsewhere, the gazelles, zebra and wildebeest are keen avoid denser bush and the dangers it hides so they migrate to open areas in the plains.
Eventually, after about two or three weeks, the lions from the Nairobi National Park will start to find prey scarce and they too will move to the plains in search of food. With the area to the south east to Nairobi so densely populated the animals – both herbivores and predators – have to travel through residential areas and local residents say that this is a difficult time for them because when their natural prey is in short supply lions will settle on hapless goats, sheep and cows.