Chyulu Hills National Park
| Chyulu Hills National Park | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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| Nearest city | Tsavo |
| Coordinates | 2°36′S 37°51′E / 2.600°S 37.850°ECoordinates: 2°36′S 37°51′E / 2.600°S 37.850°E |
| Area | 120 km2 (46 sq mi) |
| Established | Gazetted in 1983 Last two eruptions of (Shaitani and Chainu) occurred in 1856 |
| Governing body | Kenya Wildlife Service |
| Website | [1] |
The Chyulu Hills is a mountain range in eastern Kenya. It forms a 100 kilometre long volcanic field in elongated NW-SE direction. Its highest peak is 2188 metres high.
The Chyulu Hills are located about 150 km east of the Kenya Rift. The hills consists of several hundred small flows and cones. Volcanism in the area started about 1.4 million years ago in the northern parts of the hills, and over time the volcanism propagated towards the southeast. These volcanoes are still considered active, since their last two eruptions (Shaitani and Chainu) occurred in 1856. Within the hills is the Leviathan Cave, one of the longest lava tubes in the world.
Kibwezi town is located 30 km northeast of the Chyulu Hills.
The Chyulu Hills do not have any permanent rivers, but rainfall on hills feeds the Tsavo and Galana rivers and Mzima Springs on the surrounding plains.
Chyulu hills divide the Tsavo and Amboseli plains. The area is inhabited by Maasai and Kamba people.
Lower parts of the hills are composed of grassland and thicket, while above roughly 1800 metres is dominated by montane forest. The forest contains Neoboutonia macrocalyx, Tabernaemontana stapfiana, Prunus africana, Strombosia scheffleri, Cassipourea malonsana, Olea capensis and Ilex mitis. Some isolated parts are dominated by Erythrina abyssinica. Lower parts of the forest are dominated either by Juniperus procera or Commiphora baluensi.
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Wikipedia