The Aberdare national park

The Aberdare national park is one of Kenya’s National parks situated in Central Kenya, in the Eastern Arm of the Great East African Rift Valley. It is a protected area in the Aberdare mountain range. It was established as a national park in 1950, covering an area of 766 square kilometers. The park lies on an altitude of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) to 4,000 meters (13,000 ft).

The Aberdare national park is covered with a range of beautiful landscapes from majestic mountain peaks, the deep v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Moorland, bamboo forests, and rainforests as one goes down to lower altitudes.

Mist and rain occur throughout much of the year, with precipitation varying from around 1000mm yearly on the north-western slopes to as much as 3000mm in the southeast. Heavy rainfall occurs throughout most of the year.

ATTRACTIONS IN ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK

WILDLIFE

It is a  home to most of the larger mammals, Wildlife present in the protected area include 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. Species such as the common eland, serval cats live in the higher moorlands. The Aberdare national park also hosts a large eastern black rhinoceros population.  The park is home to most endangered species which include: the rare bongo, giant forest hog, packs of the now very rare wild hunting dogs and endemic mole-rate and mole shrew.

BIRDS

The birdlife features 250 recorded species including the endangered Aberdare cisticola, Jackson’s francolin, sparrowhawk, African goshawk, African fish eagle, sunbirds, and plovers.

BADEN POWEL MUSEUM

This museum located in Nyeri is committed to preserving, communicating, and exhibiting the heritage of Boy Scout movement. Lord Baden–Powell, the founder of the boy scout association.

ACTIVITIES DONE AT ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK

GAME DRIVES

This activity can be done during the day and at night. It rewards you a sight of your favorite animals such as Lions, baboon, black and white Columbus, and skyes monkeys. The golden cat is one of the rare animals seen during game drives.  When the animals visit the water holes at night, a bell is rung in visitor’s rooms calling them for night game viewing. The common animals seen are Bushbucks, elephants, buffalos, Leopards.

HIKING

The park is located in a mountainous area so hiking is one of the activities done when you visit the Aberdare National Park. It is done on Mount satima, also known as mount lesatima is the third-highest mountain in Kenya and the highest in the Aberdare range and Mount kipipiri is an isolated volcano in the wanjohi valley, on the kinangop plateau near to the Aberdare range. It is about 20 miles northeast of Lake Naivasha, which is visible from the summit.  It is detached from the main Aberdare range and sits in between geta-Bushi and miharati area.

BIRD WATCHING

Birders can search for their favorite birds which can be watched on a safari drive or during a nature walk within the Game Sanctuary. Birdlife found in the park is abundant and varied. The most conspicuous group is the Sunbird,

ACCESSIBILITY

By roads: The Park can be reached on tarmac from Nyeri and Naro Moru on the eastern side (160 km from Nairobi). A road crosses the park to connect with another from Naivasha and North Kinangop on the west. The main towns from which the park can be approached are Nyeri (154 km from Nairobi) Nyahururu (188 km from Nairobi) and Naivasha (87 km from Nairobi).

Airstrips: Mweiga airstrip, next to the park headquarters or Nyeri airstrip which is 12 km from Mweiga headquarters.

Park gates: Ark gate, Treetops gate, Ruhuruini gate, Kiandagoro gate, Mutubio, Wandare, Shamata, and rhino.

ACCOMMODATION

Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation, from the treetops 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. There are also five picnic sites.