Meru National Park

browse (1 / 4)

This lush park east of Meru, is one of Kenya's lesser known and visited reserves. The Meru National Park is part of a complex of protected areas along the Tana River that includes the adjacent Bisanadi and Mwingi Reserve, Kora national Park and Rahole National reserve. The park benefits from Mt Kenya's generous rainfall; it has abundant jungle, tall grass and swamps and it is not as easy to spot game here as in other parks. The park is about 80 kilometres east of Meru town and can be reached via a reasonable road passing through luxuriant, partly forested farmland on the Nyambene hills.

Numerous permanent streams cross the park, and three large rivers straddle the reserve; the Tana to the south, the Ura to the south-west and the Rojeweru to the east. The park was made famous by the writings of Joy Adamson, most noted for her book “Born Free” the true story of Elsa, the lioness, and her return into the wild. "Elsa" the lioness was the most well-known and her grave is marked at the park. One lodge and two tented camps are planned inside the Park. There are eight special campsites which must be pre-booked, one public campsite, Kenya Wildlife Service self-help banda and Leopard Rock bandas.

Game to view includes lion, elephant, cheetah, leopard and some of the rarer antelopes; lesser kudu, duiker and dik dik, one of Africa's smallest antelopes. Large prides of lion can be seen and some of Kenya's largest herds of buffalo. The rivers are abounding with hippo and crocodile. Fishing for barbus and catfish is permitted at camp sites and along the Tana River. In the mid 1980's, the Park suffered from poaching, however Kenya Wildlife Service armed wildlife security patrols have driven out the poachers and the elephant population has stabilised with breeding herds settling down.

The Meru National Park is also a haven for birders with over 300 species of birds having been recorded including: the peter's finfoot which inhabits the Murera and Ura Rivers, the Pel's fishing owl, kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters, starlings and numerous weavers.