Haller Park In Mombasa
Haller Park In Mombasa.
Haller Park is a nature park formerly known as Bamburi Nature trail, but has recently been renamed Haller Park in the honor of Doctor Rene Haller in the recognition for his work made conjunction with the Bamburi Portland Cement Company for transforming their abandoned quarry into the ecological wilderness it is today, in Bamburi, situated on the North Coat of Mombasa along the Mombasa Malindi road, next to the Bamburi Cement factory on the Kenyan coast, It is transformation of a quarry wasteland into an ecological area. Haller Park holds a variety of the plant and animal species which serve as recreation spot for tourists and locals and attraction as well. The guests have the unique opportunity of close up contact with the variety of the animal species through the education guided safaris tailored to their requirement. The guides are as well professional safari guides conduct these safari in English, French, German, Italian, and Swahili. These attractions to be found in this coastal sanctuary include the Crocodile farm, Reptile Park with a rich variety of snake species, beautiful serene Palm Garden and Game sanctuary.
The Haller Park also provides a home of various animal species from the cheeky Vervet monkeys, hippos, Oryx, buffalos, zebras, waterbucks, elands, duiker, suni to the graceful giraffe; the animal species that are mostly active at night includes the bush pig, marsh mongoose and serval cat. Weaver birds, Kingfisher, Storks, Herons, Egrets, Owls, Eagles, Kites, Cranes, Ibis, Sandpipers the list is endless. Bamburi Haller Park is a well contained park for all the bird lovers in the wild. Do not arrive here to expect a safari experience, it is more of a zoo-like experience but based on the rehabilited land in Africa, While at Haller Park, make sure you meet Owen and Mzee, an unlikely couple with a touching story. Owen is an orphaned hippo who lost his family after El Nino floods washed him and his family into the Indian Ocean.
The adults were able to make it back to the shore, but Owen was too small to swim to the beach and he was stranded in the water for good days until the Kenya Wildlife Service was able to rescue. After he was retrieved from the ocean, he was placed in a fence area with other animals, but no other hippos were in sight, so the adult male tortoise named Mzee took Owen inn and cared for like a mother.
Haller Park is a showcase of conservation, where you can now see wildlife in its natural setting, where once was an exhausted quarry. From wasteland to a microcosm of the Kenya’s age old beauty, where the flora and fauna co-exist and make new beginnings possible. If you are in Mombasa, do not pass up the chance to see this remarkable feat. Haller 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 undertake.
The diversity of the vegetation is considerable, from Mangrove palms and the majestic indigenous shade trees to the coastal forests where the several of these plants are rare and endangered; a haven for the botanist. Yet each plant plays an important role in the overall harmony of the ecosystem.
Haller Park Crocodiles.
In 1975, Haller Park introduced to its ponds, as eggs and hatchlings from Lake Turkana, Lake Baringo and the Tana River. Some of the females have been laying eggs regularly since 1986, which have to be artificially incubated, as the temperature in the quarry is not optimal for crocs to development. Waste from the fish farm and waste from a trust farm called Baobab Trust feeds the crocodiles. The Trust carries out community-based farmer training in the collaboration with Dr Rene and Haller Park. The crocodiles convert this waste into valuable commodities like crocodile skins and meat for the human consumption, minus everything during your safari to the Haller Park you can taste excellent crocodile steak in the Haller Park restaurant.
The guests who visit the Haller Park participate in various activities like wildlife viewing, giraffe feeding, Bird watching, Night walks and many others.
