Aberdare National Park

The Aberdare National Park covers the higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain Range of central Kenya of 766sq km and the Aberdare Salient to their east. Rhino Ark is a charity devoted to the protection of this critical habitat area. The park was recognized in1950 due to the wide range of landscapes – from the mountain peaks that rise to 14,000 feet (4,300 m) 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.

Access; the park can be reached by road, 3-4 hours from Nairobi city centre.

Time to visit; May to October is more convenient.

Attractions;

Animals easily observed include the lion, leopard, baboon, black and white Colobus monkey, and Sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the golden cat and the bongo – an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals like the eland and spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands. The Aberdare National Park also contains a large population of the black rhino. Visitors can also indulge in walking, picnics, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands and even bird viewing due to the presence of over 250 species of birds in the park, including the endangered Aberdare Cist cola, Jackson’s Francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers. There is a traditional belief of the Kikuyu people that the Aberdare Mountain Range is a home of Ngai or God that make the mountain more valued and lavish by both local local and international.

Accommodation 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 elephant, buffalo, lion and rhino, which get attracted to the waterholes. The park also includes two airstrips at Mweiga and Nyeri.