Shimba Hills National Reserve

Shimba Hills National Reserve

Location: 55 km (34 mi) South of Mombasa Map

Area: 193 km2 (74.33 sq mi)

Tel. 020 600 800

Open: 6am- 7pm daily

www.kws.org

 

Description of Shimba Hills National Reserve

Shimba Hills National Reserve is a biosphere reserve situated 55 km (34 mi) South of Mombasa in Kenya. Shimba Hills National Reserve covers an area of 193 km2 (74.33 sq mi). Shimba Hills National Reserve is particularly famous for its high African elephant population. About 700 of these magnificent animals roam savannahs, jungles and woodland of the protected reserve. In fact their population grew so high that it became an issue for the plants and trees that grow in the region. Elephants eat and damage them in record numbers. In fact the situation became so threatening that government of Kenya ordered construction of neighbouring Mwaluganje elephant sanctuary to the North of Shimba Hills National Reserve to provide more area for these animals.

                     

 

In Shimba Hills, there is the only black antelope population in Kenya (there are about 100 individuals in the park), which was the main reason for the creation of the national reserve.

According to various estimates, about 700 elephants live in the reserve. Their population is very high and causes significant damage to vegetation. The conflict between humans and elephants has also reached a critical level, and in order to provide elephants with a way to leave the park, the Mwaluganje elephant reserve was established in the north of Shimba Hills. The rest of the park's border is fenced to prevent elephant invasion of farmland. Kenya’s Wildlife Service plans to transport up to 400 elephants from Shimba Hills to East Tsavo in 2005.

Also in the reserve there are a giraffe, leopard, geneta, steppe cat, hyena, common water goat, shrub pig, African buffalo, bushbuck, coastal colobus, blue ducter, bushy ducter, red ducter, large halo, vervet, white-throated monkey, serval, shrew .

111 bird species were registered, among them a spike guinea fowl, a crested kite, a large honey pointer, a crown current.

From reptiles there are real python, cobra, gecko and lizards, from insects butterflies, mosquitoes, bees.