Meru National Park

• Least visited wildlife area
• Big Five game
• Made famous by “Born Free”

Meru National Park is probably the country’s least visited reserve and one where very little tourists are encountered on game drives. The landscape consists of savanna, swamp, riverine forest and dry bush. There is a prevalence of rivers and waterways and the three major rivers in the reserve are the Tana, Ura and Rojeweru Rivers. There are also up to 15 perennial rivers, along which thick riverine vegetation grows, and is home to a rich diversity of birdlife.

The western parts of the 860km² park are much more lush than in the east due to higher rainfall. This is Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) country and game numbers have increased substantially after heavy poaching during the latter half of the previous century. Other animals to see inlcude cheetah, zebra, a variety of antelopes and some very good birdwatching. Parts of Meru have been designated as wilderness areas and here there are no roads at all.

Special features include:

• Home of Joy and George Adamson
  Meru National Park was made famous by renowned conservationists and authors Joy and George Adamson who lived here in the 1970s. Joy Adamson’s book Born Free resulted in a film about the lioness Elsa that she reared and subsequently set free in the wild along with other wild animals like the cheetah, Pippa. Both George and Joy were sadly murdered in later years in separate attacks in the region
  
• Tana River
  This is the biggest river in the area and offers visitors some lovely scenery and a true wilderness experience