Samburu Game Reserve
Background Information
Relief from the harsh equatorial sun is provided by wide swathe of the Ewaso Nyiro river which is at its best in the reserve where it is broad, often sluggish, with a large population of crocodile and hippo. Elephant roam the nearby hills and scrubland, coming in to drink the shallow waters of the river where their herds can often be seen. Over 100 species of colorful birdlife can easily be encountered in a days viewing.
At the nearby Buffalo Springs Game Reserve, with its pools and streams of fresh water, literally thousands of sand grouse and doves together with a galaxy of smaller birds can be seen. The name is taken from an oasis of liquid crystal clear water.
The adjacent Shaba National Reserve is where the late Joy Adamson wrote her books on the rehabilitation of a leopard. The reserve’s northern border is marked by the wide sauntering flow of the Ewaso Nyiro on its way to disappear in the Lorian swamp. This trio is a worthy introduction indeed to this most colorful part of Kenya.
Practically most of Kenya’s wildlife is represented in the two blocks of Tsavo, but the dominant one is elephant. Over 20,000 of these giants roam the area, which also happens to be a black rhino stronghold. The park is famous for its lions, descendants of the dreaded Man eaters during the construction of the Mombasa-Kampala railway at the end of the last century.
There is network of over 800kms of game viewing roads. Bird life is legion in the park and new species are often discovered. Sunbirds, hornbills, parrot, weavers, starlings, bustards and birds of prey are present in great numbers among the many species.