Meru National Park

Meru is watered by rivers running off Mount Kenya and the Nyambene hills, and the result is a park far greener than its neighbours: doum palms along the streams, tall grass, swamps and riverine forest between areas of open savannah, with the Tana river forming the southern boundary. It is where George and Joy Adamson raised and released Elsa the lioness in the late 1950s, the story that became Born Free, and Elsa's grave is in the park. Meru suffered badly from poaching in the 1980s and its wildlife collapsed; it has since been rebuilt, with a fenced rhino sanctuary holding both black and white rhino, and elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and reticulated giraffe returning. Visitor numbers remain very low compared with the southern parks, so game drives here are usually solitary.

History

George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the lioness here, the story of Born Free; Elsa is buried in the park and part of Joy's ashes were scattered on her grave. Between 2000 and 2005 the Kenya Wildlife Service, with French development aid and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, brought the park back from near ruin (Wikipedia, Meru National Park).

Highlights

• River and palm country - doum palms and streams crossing the park.
• The rhino sanctuary - fenced area with black and white rhino.
• Elsa's grave - the burial site from the Born Free story.
• Empty tracks - very low visitor numbers even in high season.

When to go

Dry seasons for tracks and visibility; the tall grass after the rains makes game hard to see. Rivers can flood and cut crossings in the wet. Early and late are the productive hours as everywhere.

Before you go

The tall grass and dense riverine vegetation mean sightings take more work than in the Mara or Amboseli. Roads are rough and 4x4 essential. Accommodation is limited to a few lodges and campsites. Tsetse flies are present in parts. The drive from Nairobi takes most of a day.

Nearby

Kora lies east across the Tana; Mount Kenya rises to the west.

Key facts