Haller Park

Did you know that a turtle could raise a hippo and the two of them could become best friends? The Mombasa based Haller Park is living proof of this, as this is the place where Mzee the turtle and Owen the hippo were living together as best friends after Mzee adopted Owen as a baby. Unfortunately these days Owen has grown so big that he got his own enclosure, but both friends still live in Haller Park.

The park started in the 1970s as a barren wasteland, owned by the Bamburi Cement Company. Cement companies had been using the land for almost twenty years, what lead to the area being completely inhospitable. The Bamburi Cement Company decided to try and revive the area, and hired one Dr. Haller to do so. He eventually managed to get trees growing and slowly introduced wildlife. Eventually this led to three nature parks, and Haller Park is one of them. Haller park is home to giraffes, hippos, turtles, snakes and crocodiles.

When visiting Mombasa, Haller Park is a perfect getaway for a few hours. Located in Bamburi in the north of town, you have to take a car to get there. Feed the giraffes at the gate, then hire a guide to show you around. Make sure you are in time for the crocodile feeding, which is said to be quite spectacular…!