Aberdare National Park

Aberdare National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Aberdare Park entrance
Map showing the location of Aberdare National Park
Location of Aberdare National Park
Location Kenya, Nyandarua County & Nyeri County
Nearest city Nyeri
Coordinates 0°25′48″S 36°43′57″E / 0.43000°S 36.73250°E / -0.43000; 36.73250Coordinates: 0°25′48″S 36°43′57″E / 0.43000°S 36.73250°E / -0.43000; 36.73250
Area 767 km2 (296 sq mi)
Established 1950
Governing body Kenya Wildlife Service

The Aberdare National Park is a protected area in the Aberdare Mountain Range in central Kenya located east of the East African Rift Valley.[1] It covers the higher areas and the Aberdare Salient to the east.

Overview

The park is located about 100 km north from Nairobi and stretches over a wide variety of terrains because it covers altitudes from about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level. Established in May 1950, the Aberdare National Park covers an area of 766 square kilometers and forms part of the Aberdare Mountain Range. The park contains a wide range of landscapes - from the mountain peaks that rise to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level, to their deep, v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Moorland, bamboo forests and rainforests are found at lower altitudes.

Wildlife

Wildlife present in the protected area include the lion leopard, elephant, East African wild dog, giant forest hog, bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, Cape buffalo, suni, side-striped jackal, eland, duiker, olive baboon, black and white colobus monkey, and sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the African golden cat and the bongo - an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals such as the eland as well as spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands. The Aberdare National Park also contains a large eastern black rhinoceros population. Visitors can also indulge in walking, picnics, in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Even the bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the endangered Aberdare cisticola, Jackson's francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers.

Facilities

Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation according to their taste, ranging from the Treetops tree-house lodge, to the Ark - built in the shape of Noah's Ark - and three self-help banda sites, eight special campsites and a public campsite in the moorland. There are also five picnic sites. Both Treetops and Ark provide excellent nighttime wildlife viewing. From here, visitors can observe various animals, such as elephants, Cape buffaloes and rhinos, which get attracted to the waterholes. The park also includes two airstrips at Mweiga and Nyeri.[2][3]

Park entry and charges

The park is open daily from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. Entry on foot is prohibited and visitors are turned away after 6:15 pm.
Entry to the park is by smart card only, obtained and loaded at the main gate.

Charges (2013)
RateFee
East African Citizens (adults)300KSh
East African students and children200 KSh
East African Residents (adults)1500 KSh
East African students and children500 KSh
Nonresident adultsUSD$52[4]
Nonresident students and children$26[5]

References

  1. ↑ Mwangi, P.N., Milewski, A. and Wahungu, G.M. (2004). Chemical composition of mineral licks used by elephants in Aberdares National Park, Kenya. Pachyderm 37: 59−67.
  2. ↑ "Aberdare National Park". Kenya Wildlife Service. 2014-06-29. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  3. ↑ "The Ark". thearkkenya.com. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  4. ↑ KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE WEBSITE
  5. ↑ KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE WEBSITE
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