Aberdare National Park
Aberdare National Park or Reserve is a high altitude reserve that was created to protect the moorland and slopes of the Aberdare Mountains. The park is an ideal location for viewing Kenya’s birds and animals as well as for topography enthusiasts.
Its topography ranges from high peaks, hills, and moorlands to indigenous streams, ravines, waterfalls, and forest that you can enjoy. Due to its favorable altitude, the reserve is quite misty and rainy, with roads that become almost impassable during the rainy season.
The Rhino Ark, a charitable organization dedicated to the protection of wildlife and parks, and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), a state corporation that was established to manage and conserve Kenya’s wildlife, run the park.
Aberdares Kenya is home to the 2nd largest herd of rare Black Rhinos. You can also view many animals here including Lions, Black Leopards, Elephants, as well as the elusive Bongo Antelope.
Additionally, two of the nation’s best Safari Lodges are situated in this park: The Ark and Treetops. Both offer amazing wildlife viewing during the night over the drinking hole.
When King George VI died, Princess Elizabeth was at the Treetops Hotel, watching wildlife with the Duke of Edinburgh. She climbed a tree as a princess and came down as the queen. Overnight, Treetops became the most famous tree house that the world fell in love with.
Ensure that you experience the magnificent view of this tree house before you leave the Aberdare Reserve.
Aberdare History and Overview
Opened in 1950, Aberdares National Park is a far-sighted idea of protecting the Aberdare Mountains Kenya and surrounding wildlife. It is located 62 miles (100km) north of Nairobi, Capital city of Kenya, in the middle of Kenya (former central province).
The park covers 766km2, which is quite small when compared with other national reserves such as Amboseli or Masai Mara and has more challenging terrains due to its location in the country’s central highlands. The volcanic range of the mountains varies from Ol Donyo Lesatima (3999m/13123 feet) to the peaks of Kinangop (3906m/12814 feet) and the high moorland (3000m/9842 feet).
The fertile, red volcanic soil offers great growing conditions for the native forest and lies in bleak contrast to both the mountain and Forest’s beautiful and rugged peaks.
As we said, one of the main attractions of the Aberdare National Reserve is the Black Rhinos, which is an endangered species. Other wildlife that you can observe in this park includes Sykes Monkey, Baboons, Black and White Columbus Monkeys, African Lions, and Leopards.
There are also over 250 bird species, including Plovers, Eagles, Hawks, Sunbirds, and Goshawks.
