​Wildlife & Animals – Meru NP

Anthony Ham
Expert
By Anthony Ham

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Kenya.

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya.

Anthony is the author of the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya.

Meru National Park offers good overall wildlife viewing and is home to the Big Five. Elephants are particularly common and relaxed. Big cat sightings are hit-and-miss. There is a chance of spotting a white or black rhino in the drive-in rhino sanctuary, although the vegetation is extremely thick. Hippos and Nile crocodiles are common along the Tana River.

Abundant
Common
Occasional
Rare
None
ElephantCommon
GiraffeCommon
HippoCommon
BuffaloCommon
ZebraCommon
WildebeestCommon
White RhinoRare
Black RhinoRare
LionOccasional
LeopardOccasional
CheetahRare
HyenaOccasional
Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Most people will appreciate Meru for its northern specials, which are animals that are specially adapted to arid conditions. The reticulated giraffe is distinguishable by its dramatic pattern. Grevy's zebra occur alongside the smaller and more common plains zebra. This is one of few places to encounter the shy lesser kudu and the impressive-looking Beisa oryx. Most odd of them all is the gerenuk with its elongated neck.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing in Meru is best during the Dry season (June to October) when animals gather around predictable water sources. Spotting animals is usually more difficult during the long rains (March to May) and short rains (November to December), when the grass tends to be very high. In the rainy season, elephants move out of the park.

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