Meru National Park- Self Drive in Kenya

Meru National Park is a Kenyan national park located east of Meru, 350 km from Nairobi and covers an area of 870 km2, it is one best known national parks in Kenya. Rainfall in this area is abundant with 635–762 mm in the west of the park and 305–356 mm in the east which results in tall grass and lush swamps.

The park has a wide range of wild animals including lion, elephant, cheetah, leopard black rhino, zebra, gazelle, oryx and some of the rarer antelope, Lesser Kudu and duiker, also the more common Dik Dik, one of Africa’s smallest antelope. Large prides of lion can be seen and some of Kenya’s largest herds of buffalo. The rivers abound with hippo and crocodile, fishing for barbus and catfish is permitted at camp sites and along the Tana River

Species

Over 300 species of birds have been recorded, including: Red-necked falcon, Heuglins courser, brown-backed woodpecker, sunbirds Peter’s Finfoot, inhabiting the Murera and Ura Rivers; Pel’s Fishing Owl, kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters, starlings and weavers.

Conservationists in the Park.

Meru was one of the two areas in which conservationists George Adamson and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness made famous in the best selling book and award winning movie Born Free. Elsa the Lioness is buried in this park and part of Joy’s ashes were scattered on her grave site.