Haller Park (formerly Bamburi Nature Trail) is a nature park located South of the Bamburi cement plant along the Mombasa /Malindi highway, in Mombasa on the Kenyan Coast. It is the transformation of a quarry wasteland into an ecological paradise, a product of the company’s efforts, since 1971, to convert barren landscape of disused limestone quarries into vibrant and diverse ecosystem of forest, grasslands and ponds.
Currently, Haller Park plays host to a variety of plant and wildlife including hippos, giraffes, buffalos, and antelopes as well as smaller mammals and birds, which serve as a recreation hot spot to tourists and locals. Up to March 2007 it held the famous attraction of “Owen and Mzee” , the unsual bond of friendship of a hippopotamus and a tortoise that became the subject of international media attention. Owen, the hippo named after one of its rescuers was a less than a year old male calf washed out to the Indian ocean in December 2014 wallowing helplessly in the open ocean before being rescued by Kenya Wildlife Service rangers and taken to Haller park where it was adopted by one of the old tortoises 120years old at the time, hence the nickname Mzee.
The Park was the first recipient to be honoured with the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honour award for the unique, ecologically sound and successful rehabilitation undertaken.
The Park consists of a Game Sanctuary, Reptile Park, small demonstration Fish Farm area, Palm Garden, Crocodile pens and a giraffe viewing platform, offering a variety of attractions at the various points to educate and entertain the over 160,000 visitors who visit the park every year.
The diversity of vegetation is considerable, from mangrove palms and majestic indigenous shade trees to coastal forests where several of these plants are rare and endangered; a haven for botanist. Yet each plant plays an important role in the overall harmony of the ecosystem. The park also provides a home to various animal species from the cheeky Vervet monkeys to the graceful giraffe; Weaver birds, Kingfisher, Storks, Herons, Egrets, Owls, Eagles, Kites, Cranes, Ibis, Sandpipers the list is endless.
Here are some of the snaps i took in the park.
Alex Mayeye Photography 