Buffalo springs game reserve kenya

Buffalo Springs, Samburu and Shaba are a trio of similar, adjoining reserves. Buffalo Springs offers good wildlife viewing of most big safari animals, and is particularly renowned for its excellent leopard sightings. Samburu pastoralists live a semi-nomadic lifestyle on the peripheries of the reserve and a visit to a traditional homestead is highly recommended.

Regarding the Big Five , elephants are particularly abundant, and leopard sightings are very reliable. There are no rhinos, and lion sightings are a bit hit-and-miss, but it is the northern Kenya dry-country specials that attract many visitors. They include beisa oryx , lesser kudu , reticulated giraffe , Grevy's zebra and the odd looking gerenuk. The reserve protects a tract of semi-arid savannah flanking the scenic Ewaso Nyero River. The ecology is defined by contrasting habitats of riverine forest along the watercourse, and dry acacia scrub dotted with termite mounds extending away from it.

The springs, after which the reserve has been named, are a scenic landmark and attract a steady stream of thirsty animals.

The temperature at Buffalo Springs tends to drop a bit at night, but otherwise it stays hot. The environment gets parched in the almost-rainless Dry season June to September. Surrounding this are two periods of storms and showers October to December and March to May. This is the best time to visit for wildlife watching.

As one of the several hidden landscapes, the reserve offers a serene setting where you escape into a vast landscape of remarkable flora and fauna. Unique features of the reserve include lava terraces, rolling grasslands, doum palms, forests, scrub brush, Ewaso Nyiro River and springs for which the reserve is named.

The reserve is part of a larger ecosystem that includes Samburu National Reserve to the north and Shaba National Reserve to the northeast. These beautiful animals are joined by other rare species, including Somali ostriches, beisa oryx and gerenuks. Your AfricanMecca guide also helps you locate the well-hidden hunters, such as leopards, lions, cheetahs and Nile crocodiles.

You may even have a chance to see African wild dogs. For our bird-watching guests, Buffalo Springs is a mecca of avi-fauna with more than species recorded that includes birds that are found in northern bush country and riverine forests. The lesser kestrels and Taita falcons are globally threatened species that thrive under the protection of the reserve. Other vulnerable species include great egrets, martial eagles, African darters and yellow-billed ox-peckers. Common species include bee-eaters, yellow-billed hornbills, lilac-breasted rollers, grey-headed kingfishers and many more.

For an adventurous tour of Buffalo Springs Reserve , explore the land, animals and people with a game drive. Travel across vast distances with an expert guide to locate diverse wildlife. You may even witness a lion or cheetah kill, protective elephant mother fend off crocodiles on the beach banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River and the playful banter of gazelles on the savannah.

AfricanMecca also recommends that you plan a guided nature and birding walk so that you can discover the small and delicate details of the reserve while uncovering the hidden smaller denizens that peer from bushes, trees and rocks. Along the way, you are accompanied by members of the local Samburu communities.

Birds are numerous and species have been recorded in Buffalo Springs reserve. November is usually the wettest month. July is normally the driest month.

Follow the links below to Kenya's premier wildlife regions and game reserves. Resources for planning a Kenya safari :. When you see a camel train walking single file along a dry riverbed, you realise you are in a pretty parched area. The three National Reserves of Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba are at the beginning of the dry north where camels become commonplace. Kenya Coast.