Visit Meru National Park, Parks & Reserves of Northern Kenya
The Meru National Park covers an area of 1,813 square kilometres to the north east of Kenya. Meru is not a reserve to come and tick off the big five, but rather it's a wilderness experience. It is perhaps best known for Elsa the lioness, who was released here and made famous by Joy Adamson's books.
Giraffe in Meru National Park
Meru National Park
Parks & Reserves of Northern Kenya, Kenya
The Meru National Park covers an area of 1,813 square kilometres to the north east of Kenya. It is bordered by the Kora, Rahole and Bisanadi Reserves.
Meru is the setting of Joy Adamson's book 'Born Free'
Well off the mainstream tourist circuit, Meru is not a reserve to come and tick off the big five. Rather it is a wilderness experience. The horizons are endless and game wild. Huge tracts of the park have no roads and must be explored on foot. On the roads that there are, minibuses are never seen. You might see a park ranger or lion researcher in an old landrover but that is the extent of the traffic. Finally, Meru is perhaps best known for Elsa the lioness, who was released here and made famous by Joy Adamson's books.
Tropical riverine forest
The park lies at the foothills of the Nyambene Mountain Range. The area is well watered by small rivers and streams, the main rivers being the Rojerwero, Ura and Tana. All three rivers are flanked by dense tropical riverine forest and superb stands of doum and raphia palms. Baboons can often be seen foraging in the forest and climbing the trees at night to sleep. Away from the rivers the vegetation consists of wide grassy plains, dotted with acacias and palms and areas of woodland.
Wildlife of Meru
Meru has a good network of dirt roads which allow you to access many areas of the park. There is increasingly good game including elephant, black rhino, reticulated giraffe, Grevy's and common zebra, Grant's gazelle, lesser kudu, gerenuk and Beisa oryx. Predators are also present including lion, leopard and cheetah. The lion are particularly interesting as many of the males have very small manes. All the animals are still quite shy and this is not a place to race about from herd to herd. Rather it is a park to see zebra in the sunset, lion in the tall grass, learn about the birds and trees.
The scenery is superb, and in Meru, you can enjoy space and wilderness all to yourself.
Other places within Parks & Reserves of Northern Kenya
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- The Samburu Reserve stretches stark and rugged towards the Chalbi desert. A place of baked brown earth and parched vegetation, it is a place where you can experience the empty and wild side of Kenya. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of good game viewing to be had.
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- The Shaba National Reserve lies to the east of the Samburu National Park and covers an area of 130 square kilometres north of the Ewaso Ng'iro River. It is remote and wild but there is still plenty of large game to be seen, as well as an array of interesting birdlife.
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Meru National Park
View place- {6E2FC65C-FF87-4FF7-A2E0-70B854196D46}
- The Meru National Park covers an area of 1,813 square kilometres to the north east of Kenya. Meru is not a reserve to come and tick off the big five, but rather it's a wilderness experience. It is perhaps best known for Elsa the lioness, who was released here and made famous by Joy Adamson's books.
- 0.0762176288885565
- 38.2880401611328
More in Meru National Park, Parks & Reserves of Northern Kenya