Samburu National Reserve, Buffalo Springs and Shaba are the most remote and inaccessible among the popular reserves located in Northern Kenya along the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro river. Shaba, the less visited of the three, is also the largest, with a total extension of 239 km. Samburu national reserve and Buffalo Springs are similar in surface area, 165 km and 128 km respectively.
The area has been traditionally inhabited by the Samburu people, a nomad paranilotic tribe closely related to the Maasai. The dusty plains are broken by smooth hills, outstanding the Koitogorr uplift in Samburu national reserve (1,245 m) and, lying far beyond, the flat head of the reddish Ol Olokwe mountain.
The extreme heat, in spite of the altitude above 1,000 m, and the landscape desolation, are ingredients of the less hospitable Africa. Beyond Samburu National Reserve and Buffalo Springs, the river heads on licking Shaba’s north border. This place takes its name from a volcanic cone that rises upon the plain.
Species to see in Samburu National Reserve:
Samburu National Reserve is famous for hosting some rare species which cannot be found elsewhere in Kenya. Among them are long-necked gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, elephants, crocodiles, gazelles, reticulated giraffes, and Beisa Oryx. The leopard is a frequent passer-by.
Activities done in Samburu National Reserve:
The bulk of wildlife gathers around the scarce wet areas, mainly the forested banks of the Ewaso Nyiro, which brings the Aberdare water. and the crystal clear Buffalo Springs, at the eastern side of this reserve, formed by the rise of underground streams coming from Mount Kenya.