Samburu National Reserve

Samburu National Reserve is located in Rift Valley, southeastern Samburu County, Kenya, and boasts a truly unique landscape and species profile. This protected area is split from its neighbor, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, by the Ewaso Nyiro River and boasts an outstanding collection of wildlife, particularly the “Special Five” rarely seen: Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk, and Beisa Oryx. These seldom-seen northern species are a signature of the reserve, with the arid bushland being their preferred habitat. The reserve contains over 900 elephants and is thus an elephant sanctuary of note. Visitors are drawn to Samburu because of its impressive predator population, featuring lions, leopards, and cheetahs among others, but perhaps one of the highlights has been Kamunyak, the famous “Miracle Lioness” that has been found to adopt a baby Oryx. Aside from them, the elusive African wild dogs can also be seen here from time to time, adding further charm to the reserve.

Birdwatching is also a big attraction in Samburu, having recorded about 450 species of birds. The Reserve’s varied habitats, from arid bush to riverine woodlands, house a large variety of birdlife, including globally threatened species such as Lesser Kestrel and Taita Falcon. The following bird species are the African Darter, Great Egret, White-headed Vulture, Martial Eagle, and Yellow-billed Ox-pecker, among the other bird species designated as vulnerable in this reserve. Samburu also hosts the very critically threatened pancake tortoise-Malacochersus tornieri, further enriching the biodiversity of the region. It is not only a haven for rare animals but a very important conservation area with various species, making it interesting to visit, especially for nature and animal lovers.