Mzima Springs
Encyclopedia
Mzima Springs are a series of four natural springs
in Tsavo National Park
, Kenya
. They are located in the west
of the Park, around 48km from Mtito Andei
. The source of the springs is a natural reservoir under the Chyulu Hills
to the north. The Chyulu range is composed of volcanic
lava rock and ash, which is too porous to allow rivers to flow. Instead, rain water percolates through the rock, and may spend 25 years underground before emerging 50 kilometres away at Mzima. The natural filtration process gives rise to Mzima's famously clear stream, which flows through a series of pools and rapids. Two kilometres downstream from the springs, the stream is blocked by a solidified lava flow and disappears below the surface again.
Mzima is one of Tsavo's most popular wildlife attractions owing to its resident populations of hippo
s and Nile crocodile
s. Mzima's isolation makes both species are dependent on its waters: other sources are too distant for them to reach by overland travel. The hippos also sustain an entire food chain
. They browse the surrounding savannah
by night and return to Mzima's pools by day, where their dung fertilises the water. Fruiting trees such as date
and raffia palm
s, waterberry
s and figs grow beside the water, using their submerged roots to absorb nutrients. Their fruits are a source of food for vervet monkey
s and a variety of birds. Below the water's surface, the invertebrate
s which feed on the hippo dung are preyed on by fish and cormorant
s.
The springs were made famous by wildlife film-makers Alan and Joan Root
's 1969 nature documentary
Mzima: Portrait of a Spring, which featured underwater footage of the hippos and crocodiles.. They were also the subject of the Survival Special
Mzima: Haunt of the Riverhorse in 2003, which featured the first footage of a hippo infanticide
.
In 2009, a prolonged drought proved catastrophic for Mzima's wildlife. Starving game animals were driven to permanent water sources in their thousands, bringing them into competition with the resident hippos. The grassland
surrounding the spring turned to desert and hippos began starving to death. In September 2009, only five remained, down from 70 in 2003, and journalists reported seeing carcasses floating in the pools.
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in Tsavo National Park
Tsavo National Park
Tsavo National Park may refer to:* Tsavo East National Park, a national park in Kenya on the eastern side of the A109 road.* Tsavo West National Park, a national park in Kenya on the western side of the A109 road....
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. They are located in the west
Tsavo West National Park
Tsavo West National Park is located in the Coast Province of Kenya. The park covers an area of 9,065 square kilometres. The A109 road Nairobi-Mombasa and a railway divides the park into east and west...
of the Park, around 48km from Mtito Andei
Mtito Andei
-Location:The town is located in Makueni District, Eastern Province, in the country's southeastern part on the map, close to the International border with the Republic of Tanzania. Its location lies approximately , by road, southeast of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the largest city in that...
. The source of the springs is a natural reservoir under the Chyulu Hills
Chyulu Hills
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.- Geography :...
to the north. The Chyulu range is composed of volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
lava rock and ash, which is too porous to allow rivers to flow. Instead, rain water percolates through the rock, and may spend 25 years underground before emerging 50 kilometres away at Mzima. The natural filtration process gives rise to Mzima's famously clear stream, which flows through a series of pools and rapids. Two kilometres downstream from the springs, the stream is blocked by a solidified lava flow and disappears below the surface again.
Mzima is one of Tsavo's most popular wildlife attractions owing to its resident populations of hippo
Hippo
A hippo or hippopotamus is either of two species of large African mammal which live mainly in and near water:* Hippopotamus* Pygmy HippopotamusHippo may also refer to:-Given names:...
s and Nile crocodile
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile or Common crocodile is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gabon, South Africa, Malawi, Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon...
s. Mzima's isolation makes both species are dependent on its waters: other sources are too distant for them to reach by overland travel. The hippos also sustain an entire food chain
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
. They browse the surrounding savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
by night and return to Mzima's pools by day, where their dung fertilises the water. Fruiting trees such as date
Date Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
and raffia palm
Raffia palm
The Raffia palms are a genus of twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, especially Madagascar, with one species also occurring in Central and South America. They grow up to 16 m tall and are remarkable for their compound pinnate leaves, the longest in the plant kingdom;...
s, waterberry
Syzygium guineese
Syzgium guineense is a leafy forest tree of the Myrtaceae family, found in many parts of Africa both wild and domesticated. Both its fruits and leaves are edible; the pulp and the fruit skin are sucked and the seed discarded...
s and figs grow beside the water, using their submerged roots to absorb nutrients. Their fruits are a source of food for vervet monkey
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
s and a variety of birds. Below the water's surface, the invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s which feed on the hippo dung are preyed on by fish and cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s.
The springs were made famous by wildlife film-makers Alan and Joan Root
Joan Root
Joan Root was a Kenyan-born conservationist, ecological activist and Oscar-nominated filmmaker....
's 1969 nature documentary
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
Mzima: Portrait of a Spring, which featured underwater footage of the hippos and crocodiles.. They were also the subject of the Survival Special
Survival (TV series)
Survival is one of television's longest-running and most successful nature documentary series. Originally produced by Anglia Television for ITV in the United Kingdom, it was created by Aubrey Buxton , a founder director of Anglia TV, and first broadcast in 1961...
Mzima: Haunt of the Riverhorse in 2003, which featured the first footage of a hippo infanticide
Infanticide
Infanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
.
In 2009, a prolonged drought proved catastrophic for Mzima's wildlife. Starving game animals were driven to permanent water sources in their thousands, bringing them into competition with the resident hippos. The grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
surrounding the spring turned to desert and hippos began starving to death. In September 2009, only five remained, down from 70 in 2003, and journalists reported seeing carcasses floating in the pools.