Mwea National Reserve

Mwea National Reserve
284px Location of Mwea National Reserve
Location	Embu County, Kenya
Nearest town	Siakago
Coordinates
Area	42 km2 (16 sq mi)
Established	1976
Governing body	Kenya Wildlife Service
http://www.kws.org/parks/parks_reserves/MWNR.html

The Mwea National Reserve is a nature reserve in Kenya. It is characterized by bushy vegetation and scattered large trees (Acacia species and baobab trees), typical savannah ecosystem. Open grasslands are dominant along the main rivers, with occasional thick undergrowth.

Wildlife

Game species range from African elephants, lesser kudus, Nile crocodiles, giraffes, Grant's zebras, buffalos, African leopards, common duikers, black-backed jackals, bushbucks, waterbucks, Sykes' monkeys, warthogs, rock hyraxes, bush pigs, impalas and hartebeests. Striped ground squirrels, genet (animal)s and yellow baboons are also found in Mwea.

Bird watching

Renowned for its water birds and waders, over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve. This warranted it being an Important Bird Area (IBA). The reserve is the only protected area in which the globally threatened and Kenya-endemic Hinde's babbler (Turdoides hindei) is known to occur. Mwea National Reserve also shelters two other rare species; the Pel's fishing owl (Scotopelia peli) and the white-backed night heron (Gorsachius leuconotus). The Malagasy pond heron (Ardeola idae) is also a common sighting.

Camps

The reserve has seven campsites: Mbogo, Silvester, Mavuria, Kyangosi, Hippo-Point, Kanyonga and Githechu.

Other attractions

These include game viewing, boat rides at Kamburu dam, hippo sighting at Hippo Point, bird watching and walking (walking circuit).

• GIRAFFES MWEA.JPG

  Giraffes in the Mwea National Reserve

External links

• kws.org
• magicalkenya.com