Samburu National Reserve is the Best Place to See Leopards, Grevy's Zebras, Reticulated Giraffes and Beisa Oryxes

Samburu National Reserve, along with Buffalo Springs National Reserve in the hot and arid northern Kenya, occupies the richest stretch of the Ewaso Nyiro River banks.

Admittedly, its wildlife numbers are dwarfed by those of a couple of the southern Kenya national parks such as Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park and Tsavo National Park.

However, its stunning landscapes and rare animal and bird species more than compensate for this.

As a bonus, it is less touristy and less crowded than the more popular wildlife parks and is thus a great place to enjoy a private Kenya safari.

Stunning Landscape

The Samburu game reserve's acacia-dotted landscape consists of several craggy hills and striking rock outcrops.

The Ewaso Nyiro River, which flows from Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Ranges, is the lifeblood of the national reserve, and is a literal oasis for the Samburu people and animals in the sun-scorched northern Kenya.

There are Samburu Animals...

Samburu supports a wide array of wildlife with everything from squirrels and dwarf mongooses to megafauna such as the African lion, African elephants, buffalo and waterbuck occurring in the park.

You don't have to go out of your way to look for the king of the African jungle as lion prides feasting on animal carcasses are a fairly common sight in the park.

The most famous member of the Samburu lion pride has to be Kumuniak, a lioness which, in 2002 baffled the world by adopting and dotting upon several oryxes in quick succession.

Elephants can be seen grazing on the lush river banks or wallowing in the shallows. Waterbucks, buffaloes, several primate species, giant monitor lizards and crocodiles also proliferate in the national reserve.

And then there are the Prized Samburu Animals

Samburu National Reserve is particularly famous for its leopards and is the best place in Kenya to see these extremely secretive and elusive Kenya animals. This, together with its sizeable African lion population, makes it a big hit with "Big Cat" lovers.

Another fascinating sighting while in Samburu is that of the gerenuk, an antelope species that regularly stands on its hind legs and elongates its lanky neck in order to reach the more nutritious succulent leaves at the top of the shrubs.

Kenya animals that you will see in the Samburu National Reserve and one or two other neighboring wildlife parks but certainly not in the country's southern parks are the Reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and Beisa oryx.

The Reticulated giraffe, perhaps the most striking species of the world's tallest mammal, is restricted to northern Kenya. Its chestnut patterns that are delineated by dazzling white lines are in stark contrast to the more common Masai giraffe's jagged patterns and the Rothschild giraffe's orange-brown patches and yellowish cream outlines.

Of the 3 zebra species that occur in Africa, Grevy's zebras are the largest and wildest. Samburu National Reserve is the best place to see these beautiful ruminants as 1,100 of the world's population of 2,500 live here. The Grevy's zebra's black stripes are much narrower than the common Grant's zebra's.

The Beisa oryx is a large desert antelope with a fawn coat with black flank stripes on the face, legs and belly and, a white underside. Another distinguishing feature is its ridged spear-like horns which it uses to defend itself against predator attacks.

Birds

As you'd expect with any wildlife habitat, Samburu game reserve is home to several birds of prey such as the bateleur and martial eagles and Palm-Nut vulture.

Several weaver birds, falcons and bustards, such as the white bellied and buff crested species have also been catalogued in the reserve.

The undisputed twin-stars of the reserve however have to be Somali ostriches and vulturine guinea fowl. Unlike the Masai ostrich species which has pink legs and neck, the Somali species has distinctively blue legs and neck.

The magnificent black, silver and royal blue plumage of the vulturine guinea fowl lends an air of regality to this Kenya bird species that typically occurs in arid regions.

Samburu Accommodations

There are a couple of Samburu lodges you can stay in order to enjoy the national reserve's unique wildlife.

Located on the upper banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu Intrepids Lodge is an arresting development that consists of 25 tents on stilts. Elephant Watch camp is an ecofriendly camp that is unbelievably close to several... well, elephant herds.

Larsens Tented Camp is the smallest, most luxurious and priciest of the Samburu accommodations. It is nestled on a lush spot along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River.

Although the Samburu lodges are best booked as park of a Samburu safari, they can still be booked separately if you plan to drive up or fly in.

Return from Samburu National Reserve to Kenya National Parks

Return from Samburu National Reserve to Kenya Travel Packages Homepage