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Meru National Park in Kenya
Background
Information
Meru
is a savanna National Park, 35km east of Maua town
in the north eastern lowlands below the Nyambeni
hills. Meru is part of a complex of protected areas
along the Tana river that includes the adjacent
Bisanadi and Mwingi National Reserves (to the east
and south respectively), Kora national park and
Rahole national reserve. The wetter North Western
sector is hilly, with rich volcanic soils. The land
flattens towards the East, where grey alluvial volcanic
soils appear.
The area is crossed by numerous permanent streams,
draining from the Nyambenes and flowing in parallel
between tounges of lava, south eastwards towards
the Tana River. As well as the many streams that
cross it, the park is bounded by three large rivers:
the Tana to the South, the Ura to the South West
and the Rojeweru to the East. There are several
prominent inselbergs of basement rock, notably Mughwango
and Leopard rock.
A section of the park has been designated as a wilderness
area in which are no roads. The park is part of
the domain made famous by the writings of Joy Adamson.
Location:
East-north-east of Mount Kenya in Meru District
of Eastern Province, coverig 870km2.
Climate:
Rainfall is 635-762mm in the west and 305-356mm
in the east.
HOW TO REACH THERE
Roads:
Access from Nairobi (348 kms) is via Nyeri-Nanyuki-Meru
or via Embu all weather roads. Access into the park
from Maua to Murera Gate (35 km) and 348 km from
Nairobi. The other access is via Embu to Ura Gate
(120 km), 290 km from Nairobi- inaccessible at the
moment
Airstrips:
Main airstrip at Kina, Mulika next to Meru Mulika
Lodge and Elsa's Kopje airstrip
Park Roads:
The road network in the park has recently been upgraded.
However due to the nature of soil, some roads are
easily destroyed by vehicles during the rains.
Park Gates:
Murera Gate, Ura Gate.
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
• Former home of Joy and George Adamson and
Elsa the lioness,
• Views of Mt Kenya,
• Rivers and riverine habitats,
• Tana river and
• Adamson's Falls.
FACILITIES
Special Campsites:- (no facilities, prior booking
with Kshs. 5000 needed).
Kampi Baridi; Kitanga; Makutano; Rojoweru; Mugunga;
Ken Mare and Kanjoo.
Public campsite:- (with toilets and showers).
Bwatherongi.
ACTIVITIES
Game viewing.
COMMON VEGETATION
Most of the park is covered by bush, thornbush and
wooded grassland of varying densities with Combretum
prevailing in the north and Commiphora in the south.
In the extreme north there is a small remnant outliner
of rain forest, the Ngaia forest.
The vegetation on the ridges is Combretum wooded
grassland, dominated by Combretum apiculatum. This
grades into acacia wooded grassland to the east
with Acacia tortilis and Acacia senegal on the rocky
ridges, in riverine thickets and dotted over open
country. To the west the Combretum merges into Terminalia
wooded grasslands.
On the plains Sehima nervosa, Chloris gayana, Chloris
roxburghiana, and other species of Pennisetum are
the dominant grasses.
Dense riverine forests of doum and raffia palms
Hyphaene and Raphia spp. grow along the watercourses
and in the swamps near the rivers. Along the Tana
river is found the Tana river poplar, Populus ilicifolia.
Other riverine trees include Phoenix reclinata,
Ficus sycomorus, Newtonia hildebrandtii, Acacia
elatior and Acacia robusta. The red-flowered Parasitic
Loranthus grows on the branches of Acacia reficiens
trees along the rivers.
There are numerous riverine swamps with sedges Cyprus
sp. and grasses Echinochloa haplacelada and Pennisetum
mezianum.
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