Meru
National Park
- "Complete Wilderness"
Read
also - Meru Park Branded
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. |
