Kora National Parks
Kampi ya Simba former home of George and Joy Adamson is synonymous with Kora National Park. The couple were wildlife conservationists and authors. They were depicted in the film Born Free and best-selling book with the same title, which is based on the true story of Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lioness cub they had raised and later released into the wild.
The park offers a pristine wilderness dotted with tall Inselbergs and graced by the Tana River in which the Adamson’s falls, Grand falls and Kora rapids are found. Located in Tana River County, the park’s topography consists of rocky formations that create a surreal landscape, acacia woodlands and doum palms. The park is crisscrossed by seasonal rivers too and Tana River forms the northern boundary of this park and Meru National Park.
Wildlife found in the park include; elephants, Lesser Kudus, wild dogs, striped and spotted hyenas, leopards, lions and cheetahs. There are about 500 species of insects, 40 reptiles in the park. Visitors can enjoy bird watching, hiking, river rafting, fishing, rock climbing, camping and visits to the George Adamson’s grave.
Area: 270 sq.km
Location: Kitui County
Gazettement: 1989
Distance from Nairobi: 280KM
Meru National Park
Marvelous, remote, rugged and prominently unspoilt, Meru sits intact in a wilderness less visited, yet surrounded by undiluted natural beauty. It is wild and beautiful, straddling the equator and bisected by 13 rivers and numerous mountain-fed streams. The scenery is diverse from woodlands at 3,000ft on the slopes of Nyambene mountain range, northeast of Mt. Kenya to wide-open plains with meandering riverbanks dotted with doum palms.
The park teems with a variety of wildlife species including elephant, Grevy’s zebra, lion, cheetah, leopard, hartebeest, hippo, buffalo and the reticulated giraffe among others. Meru hosts a rhino sanctuary that is home to the endangered black and white rhino species. Critically endangered, the rhinos are under a twenty-four hour surveillance. The sanctuary offers one of the best rhino viewing experiences in the wild.
Bird life is also exceptionally diverse with over 400 bird species recorded. These include Peter’s Fin foot, inhabiting the Murera and Ura rivers; Pel’s fishing owl, kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters, starlings and weavers. The rivers abound with hippo populations, crocodiles, and fish.
The park is famous as the setting for Joy Adamson’s book ‘Born Free”, the story of the Adamson’s life and research amongst lions and cheetahs. Elsa the lioness was the most well known and her grave is marked inside the park.
At the boarder of Meru National Park is Bisanadi National Reserve known as “Kinna” the border between Meru and Bisanadi Parks is the traditional division between the Meru and the Borana people. This is a true wilderness.
Visitors can enjoy game viewing, camping, picnicking, hiking and swimming in the swimming pool located next to the Bwatherongi (Kinna) bandas (cottages). Situated about two hours’ drive from Meru town past Maua town, the rich culture of the Ameru, Borana and Tharaka communities in the cultural villages is also an activity visitors can savor. Ameru culture at Murera Gate, which is the park main gate, Borana culture at Bisanadi gate, and Tharaka culture at Ura gate.
Altitude: 1,000-3,400FT
Area: 870 sq.km
Location: Tharaka-Nithi County
Gazettement: 1966
Distance from Nairobi: 348 KM
