A visit to the Samburu National Reserve revealed some unique species of wildlife. One of the first animals we came across were gerenuks. The word gerenuk comes from the Somali word garanug.
The gerenuk mostly occur in regions north of the equator. They look like impala but have small heads and very long necks, which is why they are sometimes called giraffe antelope. They can live without drinking water, surviving on moisture from the plants they eat.
We saw a group of Grevy and common zebras. The endangered Grevy’s zebra are much larger than common zebra, and have slender stripes that end above the stomach and large, rounded ears. I was informed that the two species do not interbreed.
Not far away are a few oryx antelope with pale bodies and very long straight horns. In the distance are some eland, the largest of the antelope species. But they are very skittish and move off quickly at the sight of our vehicle.
Among the smallest animals we see are suni antelopes living in the bushy areas of the park. They weigh less than 6kg and stare at us curiously with large, liquid eyes. Similar to but larger than suni are the dik dik antelopes, which have prominent noses that look like snouts. Like the suni antelopes, pairs of dik dik breed for life.
Several times we came across families of Somali ostriches. Males have an attractive black-and-white plumage, while females are a dull brown colour. During the breeding season, the featherless neck and legs of the male Somali ostrich turn blue, whereas those of the more common Maasai ostrich turn pink.
In the aftermath of the rains, the park is lush and green. The reticulated giraffe seem to be enjoying the abundance of browsing high up in the acacia trees and on shorter bushes.
I find reticulated the most attractive of the giraffes, with their well-defined pattern of spots. Giraffe numbers are declining. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation estimates Africa has lost up to 40 per cent of its giraffes in the last 30 years.
Location: Samburu county
Access: A2 / Nairobi – Isiolo Road
Rating: 4.5/5