Samburu National Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

Samburu National Reserve offers great wildlife viewing, and good densities mean that many safari animals can be seen within a couple of days. Leopard sightings in the woodlands along the riverbanks are among the best in Kenya. Elephants are plentiful, and there is a variety of antelope, including both the greater and lesser kudu with their impressive horns. Only rhino is absent from the Big Five.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraCommon

WildebeestNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardOccasional

CheetahRare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Samburu has its own version of the Big Five: the ‘Samburu Five’ includes several dry-country-adapted mammals that occur in only a handful of Kenyan parks. These include the reticulated giraffe (which has the most striking pattern of any giraffe species), Beisa oryx, gerenuk (with its elongated neck, it’s able to stand on its hind legs to reach sparse leaves), Grevy's zebra and Somali ostrich.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

It doesn’t rain much in Samburu so it can be visited throughout the year. But the most productive time for watching wildlife is in the Dry season (June to September) when the vegetation really thins out and animals gather around remaining water sources. The dry spell from January to February is also great for wildlife viewing. The wettest months are April and November, when wildlife watching can be more challenging.