Tana River  National Primate Reserve

Back Ground Information
The Tana River National Primate Reserve was gazetted in 1976 to protect the Lower Tana riverine forests and two highly endangered primates, the Mangabey and the Tana River Red Colobus. The reserve consists mainly of patches of riperian forests extending for 16km along the meandering course of the lower tana river, 350km ea st of Nairobi and 240km north of Mombasa. At the time of establishment, the reserve occupied approximately 171 Km of forest, dry woodland and savanna habitat on the East and West of the Lower Tana River. 16 patches of forests ranging ftom 10 to 625 ha. in size fall within the reserve.
Climate:
The climate is generally hot and dry. Average rainfall ranges between 400 and 500mm per annum. Precipitation is concentrated in one main season, may - june. Average monthly temperatures range from 20 to 40 degrees Centigrade.

How To get There
Roads:
The reserve is accessible via the Malindi - Garissa road.
Airstrips:
There is one airstrip on the southern part of the Livestock Marketing Department Holding Ground, which can be used for tourism purposes.
Park Roads:
Due to presence of human settlements the reserve has a network of tracks and roads linking the settlements.

Major Attractions
Endemic red colubus, crested mangabey, tana river, riverine vegetation.

Samburu National Reserve

Back Ground Information
Samburu National Reserve lies 325 kilometers north of Nairobi in the hot and arid fringes of the arid northern region of Kenya. The Reserve is within the lands of the colorful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai, and harbors a number of wildlife species rarely found elsewhere in any numbers.

These include Grevy zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the Beisa oryx all species found only north of the equator. The long-necked gerenuk is a graceful antelope, which spends much of its time in a bi-pedal stance seeking succulence among the withered scrub, which dots this harsh terrain. Other animals commonly seen are elephants, lions, cheetahs, gerenuks, buffalos, grants gazelles, dikdiks and waterbucks. There are over 350 varieties of birds. These include the famous Somali Ostriches (distinguished by their unique purple/blue legs during mating season), kingfishers, humming birds, eagles, guinea fowls and vultures.

Scenically and faunally dramatic, for most of the year Samburu National Reserve is under the unsympathetic equatorial sun. But relief comes from the wide swathe of the Ewaso Ngiro River which rises some hundreds of kilometers to the west on the foothills of the Aberdares and which vanishes beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian swamp. The river is at its best in the Reserve, broad and sluggish with a large population of crocodile seen on sandbanks at almost every bend.

In the lower reaches, where permanent pools have formed as a tributary joins the river, are hippos. The river is fringed with giant acacias, figs and doum palms all of which provide shade and sustenance to the wildlife, which comes to water. Elephant roam the gaunt hills, which punctuate the scrubland and where occasional clusters of the vividly colored desert rose challenge the arid surroundings. These elephant seek solace and contentment in the shallow waters of the river and from time to time a visitor finds herds bathing and drinking in a spectacle of unconscious pleasure.