EXTINCTION IS FOREVER

Endangered!!

Nairobi National Park, as a key urban wildlife sanctuary managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in partnership with organizations like Friends of Nairobi National Park (FoNNaP), supports a diverse array of species amid growing pressures from urban expansion. FoNNaP emphasizes the park's role in conserving biodiversity, including many species close to extinction, through initiatives like their NNP Biodiversity Drive, which tracks mammals, birds, reptiles, and plants. 



This list of endangered species focuses on those confirmed in the park, with approximate population notes where available (fluctuating due to monitoring).

Conservation in the park, supported by FoNNaP and KWS, involves anti-poaching, habitat restoration, and community engagement to address threats like urban sprawl, human-wildlife conflict and climate change.

Mammals at Risk

• Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis): Critically Endangered. A key conservation success story in the park, protected from poaching.

• Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum): Near Threatened. Another rhino success story!

• African Lion (Panthera leo): Vulnerable. About 40 individuals; recognized as a Lion Conservation Unit by IUCN, but faces human-wildlife conflict when ranging outside the park. Population varies

• Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus): Vulnerable. Small, elusive population; threatened by habitat fragmentation, and prey competition and low prey density.

• Leopard (Panthera pardus): Vulnerable. Rarely sighted; impacted by urban encroachment and prey competition.

• Maasai Giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi): Endangered. Approximately 99 individuals recorded in 2019 surveys; faces threats from habitat loss and illegal hunting. Globally, around 35,000 remain in the wild across Africa, down ~50% since the 1980s due to land conversion, poaching, and fragmentation.

Birds at risk

• Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum): Endangered. Present in wetlands and grasslands; global population approximately 60,000 declining from wetland drainage, overgrazing, and pesticide use.

• White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus): Critically Endangered. Scavenger species facing severe declines from poisoning and habitat loss.

• Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos): Endangered. Spotted in the park's grasslands and savannas; global population declining rapidly due to poisoning, habitat loss, and persecution, with fewer than 6,000 mature individuals estimated worldwide.

• Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli): Critically Endangered. Similar threats as above; often seen soaring over the park.

• Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius): Endangered. Hunts in grasslands; declining due to habitat conversion.

• Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus): Endangered. Aerial hunter; affected by reduced prey and poisoning.

• Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori): Near Threatened. Large ground bird in open areas; sensitive to disturbances.

The park hosts over 500 bird species, one of Kenya's highest counts, with several at risk due to habitat degradation, poisoning, and collisions.