Reasons to explore Meru National Park : Meru National Park is Kenya’s stunning safari destination that should never miss on your Kenya bucket list. This can be attributed to a period of low popularity, which could have actually been a godsend. For an extended period, the park served as a sanctuary for robbers and poachers. It quickly vanished from the travel scene and was no longer mentioned anywhere on itineraries for tourists. However, the Meru National Park increased the amount of game it had throughout this time of obscurity. According to some travel experts, Meru National Park offers you a better chance than any other park in Kenya of seeing the Big Five. These stunning thrilling safari activities are available on its 214,982 acres of pristine wilderness.
- Really See the Big Five.
Meru National Park, which was created in 1968, suffered heavily in the 1980s from incidences of banditry and poaching that severely reduced wildlife, particularly elephants. The park was saved and poaching incidents were decreased with the help of the Kenya Wildlife Service, but visitor confidence took longer to return. This was a time of great security, little traffic, and a flourishing flora and fauna. The park is currently among Kenya’s most rewarding, offering easy access to the Big Five.
Additionally visible are the endangered Grevy’s zebra, buck, lesser kudu, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, beisa Oryx, and the uncommon and elusive greater kudu. More than 300 species of birds inhabit the riverine, forest, and arid dry country regions.
White rhinos are successfully reproducing as a herd right now. The animals are escorted by rangers when they eat in the surrounding area or at their compound close to the park headquarters. The rhinoceros, which have been brought back from South Africa, were once extinct in the region. Because the animals in Meru National Park are not accustomed to seeing humans, you can experience real wildlife here.
- Visit a celebrity’s grave.
Visit the tomb of the well-known lioness named Elsa. After being abandoned, Elsa and her sisters “Big One” and “Lustica” were taken in as cubs by Game Warden George and his wife Joy. Lustica and Big One finally made their way to the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands. Elsa continued to live with the Adamsons until being let back into nature. The Adamsons tell her story in multiple publications and the 1966 box office blockbuster “Born Free.” The lioness’s notoriety hasn’t diminished at all. At her cemetery, visitors from all over the world come to pay their respects. The dispersed ashes of Joy Adamson repose here as well, peacefully resting beneath the roaring Ura River, which forms the border between Tharaka and Meru.
- See very old Baobabs.
See a number of massive, old Baobab trees that originate from the 800- to 1,200-year-old Magna Carta period of history.
- Climb the Highest Point at Meru National Park.
The highest peak in the Meru National Park is Mugwongo Hill. Elephant tusks are placed there because the Meru people‘s word for them is Mugwongo, which means elephant tusk. Although no one has ever discovered them, history claims that the Mau Mau liberation warriors buried a large number of tusks here. Mugwongo Hill, however, is better recognized for being the location of George and Joy Adamson’s experiment, which started to prepare abandoned lion cubs for life in the wild. Elsa’s Kopje is now located in a lodge called Mugwongo Hill. The name translates to “little hill.” Discover a variety of reptiles and geckos, such as the red-headed Agama, which lives in the crevices of the rocks at Elsa’s Kopje and emerges to sunbathe when the sun sets.
- Explore River Tana in a Motorboat.
The 440 MI of the River Tana, which passes through the Meru National Park, can be explored by watercraft. The river meanders across the northern boundary and empties into the Indian Ocean close to Lamu. Its banks draw wildlife like jam does flies up here.
- Scale the Nyambene Hills.
The Nyambene Hills are another well-liked hill range. They provide an excellent climbing challenge, rising 3,400 FT. A large portion of your climb will be on evergreen grass with forest shrubs surrounding it. Approaching the summit, a cleared area becomes clearly visible. Here, water gathers during the wet season to create a tiny pool. This area is known locally as Kieni-kia-Ntubwarimu, which translates to “the field of Ntubwarimu.” At this hallowed shrine, local elders carry out rites and sacrifices during disasters like protracted droughts, famines, diseases, and floods.
Make time to explore Meru National Park the next time you are in the Meru area. It is situated exactly on the equator, 293 kilometres from Nairobi and 78 kilometres (49 miles) from Meru town. The superb network of park roads and paths is easily navigable by any vehicle. “Kinna” is the name of the border that separates this park from the Bisanadi National Reserve in Isiolo. It delineates the boundary between the Meru and Boran tribes’ respective territories.
