Kenyan Wildlife

The Big Five - Lion, Leopard, Black Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo 

A Kenyan Wildlife Safari is a holiday not to be missed; boasting some of the largest populations of game on the African continent with a variety of different national parks and reserves the sheer variety and concentration of game is astounding. The Big Five are readily seen (not guaranteed!) and are still the main focus for wildlife safaris and vacations, travellers should remember however that there is much more to Kenya and Africa than this and that it is often in the smaller things that one finds the most enjoyment whether it be a leopard tortoise slowly wandering across the road or an elephant shrew scuttling through the bush...

The Wildlife of Kenya - a typical savannah game destination Kenya has numerous parks and reserves where you may be able to spot the Big Five. The annual wildebeest migration however is a different matter entirely; found only in the Masai Mara (also in the Serengeti in Tanzania) this is a spectacle not to be missed. During the months of July through to September you can expect to start seeing the movement of the migration, which consists of millions of wildebeest and zebra, from the Grumeti River area in Tanzania through to the Masai Mara. River crossings and the migration cannot be guaranteed as timings fluctuate on an annual basis; however two of the best areas to see the migration crossing are on the Mara and Talek Rivers. This is a wildlife spectacle that everyone must see at least once during their lifetime as the thundering hooves of millions of wildebeest gather on the plains, predators, including lion, leopard, hyena and cheetah, follow in the distance picking off unsuspecting lone animals or juveniles. The climax comes with the first beasts tentative approach to the river crossing; as soon as the first one takes the plunge, thousands follow and chaos ensues as some are taken by waiting crocodiles and others swim frantically to reach the other side...

Aside from the Masai Mara there are numerous other Kenyan reserves and conservancies that are doing their bit for Kenyan wildlife conservation. These "conservancies" are generally run by local communities and in turn benefit both the local community financially and protect the local wildlife populations. Pioneering wildlife conservation, Kenya has a number of conservancies to be proud of including the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy which covers an area of 18,000 hectares in northern Kenya and is one of the prime refuges for black and white rhino, Grevy's zebra and sitatunga. The Lewa Conservancy is nowadays a major force for conserving wildlife and incorporating local communities into tourism.