Samburu National Reserve is one of the major popular wildlife safari destinations in Kenya due to its richness in wildlife and its brilliant location on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which attracts various wildlife species.
In Samburu County is where the reserve is found and in the middle of it is the Ewaso Ng’iro River which separates it to the Buffalo springs national reserve, which is situated on the opposite side of the Samburu reserve.
The Park covers 165 square kilometers of the total area ranging in an altitude from 800 to 1230 meters above the sea level.
The reserve is distanced 350 kilometers from Nairobi (capital city of Kenya) and it can be accessed easily during the dry seasons since in wetter seasons the roads are most likely to be slippery thus making transport through them so tough.
However tourists should check on which tour agency is most reliable and best for planning and organizing Kenya safaris in order not to get disappointments.
For a tourist to enjoy his or her wildlife and birding safari in Samburu, he or she should consult only best tour agencies such as ECO TOURS KENYA which will plan for your safari when you are still in your home-country and also provide you with good safari vehicles such as; safari vans, buses, extended land cruisers among others and all the vehicles distributed are of 4 wheel drives and all having pop-up roofs thus offering an excellent game viewing without moving out of your vehicle.
However, during the wet seasons it is advisable for tourists to order for driver-guides because the roads might be difficult to pass through and it needs experts who have a great experience about Kenya.
The reserve has a wide variety of animal and birdlife including the big game such as; African elephants, lions, cape buffaloes, and leopards. There are also over 350 bird species and many other wildlife species such as; hippos, Grevy’s zebras, cheetahs, Oryx, warthogs, Grant’s gazelles, Kirk’s dik dik, Impalas, reticulated giraffes, olive baboons, waterbucks, among other species. Kamunyak which is a lioness known for adopting the Oryx calves is also inhabited in the reserve and the Ewaso Ng’iro River resides large amounts of Nile crocodiles.
The reserve can be accessed through its opposite Buffalo springs reserve or via the Ngare Mare and once inside the reserve, a tourist will have a sight to its two mountains (Mt. Ololokwe and Mt. Koitogor).
Good lodges and camps exist in the reserve where visitors to the reserve will stay as they participate in various activities and some of them include; Samburu Serena safari lodge, Samburu game lodge, Elephant watch camp, Samburu intrepids luxury tented camp, Ashnil Samburu camp and others.
The Samburu National Reserve was one of the two areas in which conservationists George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa (the Lioness) made famous in the best-selling book and award-winning movie Born Free.
From 2005 up to date, the reserve was made a part of a lion conservation unit. The Elephant Watch Camp, of which Saba Douglas-Hamilton is director, also lies within the park. The calmness and existence of Ewaso Ng’iro River are the main reasons as to why Samburu attracts many animals.
The reserve is thus a better place to take your African safari tour in it because you will view many things from there including most of the species among Africa’s big five species such as elephants, lions and buffaloes and also view a myriad of bird species including; the grey-headed kingfisher, sunbirds, bee-spur-fowl, lilac-breasted roller, secretary bird, superb starling, northern red-billed hornbill, yellow-billed hornbill, and various vultures including the palm-nut vulture.
