A Guide To Arawale National Reserve
The Arawale National Reserve is a designated conservation area managed by the Garissa County in assistance with the Kenya Wildlife Service. It lies in the North Eastern Province of Kenya, 77 km south of the town of Garissa. The Reserve covers an area of 53,324 hectares (533 km2; 206 sq mi).
To the west, it is bordered by the Tana River and, to the east, by the Garissa-Lamu road. In 1974, the reserve was gazetted as the only in-situ conservation site for the critically jeopardized Hirola population endemic to north-eastern Kenya and south-west Somalia.
History of Arawale National Reserve
The inter-territorial Arawale National Reserve, shared with Garissa County, was founded in 1976 as the primary in-situ conservation area for the relic Hirola, also known as the Hunter’s Hartebeest.
The hirola is a local form of the Hartebeest whose horns are longer than those of the true Hartebeest and bear closeness to those of the impala. It is far smaller than the common Kongoni, being only slightly larger than the Impala. It also has a long, ungainly face, a red coat, and lyrate horns similar to the Impala’s.
The critically threatened Hirola has a scattered population endemic to southwest parts of Somalia and north-eastern Kenya. Not counting the Hirola, 23 other mammal species are succeeding at the Reserve. These include eight species documented in the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It used to support a population of black rhinos, but the species was extirpated by poachers in the 1960s and 1970s.
What To See at Arawale National Reserve
Arawale National Reserve is a vital refuge for a range of wildlife species including four globally threatened species: Cheetah, Hirola, Gravy Zebra, and African Wild Dog. A study commissioned by Terra Nuova in 2006 also displayed signs of the presence of the African Elephant.
Its primary asset is the hirola or Hunter’s hartebeest (‘Beatragus hunter), a slender ungulate with lyre-shaped horns that is called the ‘four-eyed antelope’ for its visual preorbital glands. It can only be found in this region and is critically jeopardized (only the previous step to extinct in the wild) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Only 245 specimens were caught during an air survey executed in 2010, although the real population may be somewhat larger. Some hirolas have been translocated to Tsavo East National Park to save the species.
Arawale National Reserve Entrance Fee
- The foreign residents adults are expected to pay KSH500 per person and a child pays KSH300 while nonresidents adult pays USD22 (2,838.00 Kenyan Shilling) and a child pays USD13 (1,677.00 Kenyan Shilling)per person.
Take Note
- Child refers to persons from 3 years but below 11 years.
- Residents refer to persons of other nationalities residing in Kenya with valid documentation from the Kenyan government.
- Citizen – A native or inhabitant of East African countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan with valid identification documents or passport.
- Daily – It is a free payment for a single entry to a national reserve, national park, or sanctuary which can be valid in less than twenty-four hours.
Best Time to Visit Arawale National Reserve
- The best time to visit Arawale National Reserve in Kenya is during the cool season from June to October and during the dry season in January and February.
- Also, the best way to have an overnight stay in the Reserve is to go camping, because hotels and lodges are found in the nearby towns.
Arawale National Reserve Contacts
- Attraction Type: Wildlife
- Category: National Reserve
- Region: Coast
- City / Town: Garissa
- Road / Street: Garissa-GarsenRoad
- Telephone: 254 20 243 7871 254 721 242711
- Entrance Fee: Yes
Description:
Arawale is a designated conservation area designated as the only in-situ conservation site for the critically imperiled hirola, also referred to as the hunters’ hartebeest. This animal is endemic to southwest Somalia and north-eastern Kenya.
Getting There and Away
- By Road: You can reach Arawale National Reserve from Nairobi or the coast. Malindi is 130 kilometers, and Mombasa is approximately 250 kilometers.
- By Air: Also, Tourists can use domestic chartered flights that fly to Malindi and Mombasa.
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