The Arawale National Reserve is a designated conservation area managed by the Garissa County in assistance with the
Kenya Wildlife Service
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a state corporation under the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife established by an act of Parliament; Wildlife Conservation and Management Act CAP 376, of 1989, now repealed and replaced by the Wildlife Conservation ...
. It lies in
North Eastern Province of
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, 77 km south of the town of
Garissa
Garissa ( Arabic: قارسا) is the capital of Garissa County, Kenya. It is situated in the former North Eastern Province.
Geography
The Tana River, which rises in Mount Kenya east of Nyeri, flows through Garissa. The Bour-Algi Giraffe ...
. The reserve covers an area of . 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 endangered
Hirola
The hirola (''Beatragus hunteri''), also called the Hunter's hartebeest or Hunter's antelope, is a critically endangered antelope species found as of now, only in Kenya along the border of Somalia. It was first described by the big game hunter an ...
population endemic to north-eastern Kenya and south-west
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
.
Wildlife
The reserve is a critical refuge for a range of wildlife species including four globally threatened species:
hirola
The hirola (''Beatragus hunteri''), also called the Hunter's hartebeest or Hunter's antelope, is a critically endangered antelope species found as of now, only in Kenya along the border of Somalia. It was first described by the big game hunter an ...
,
Grevy's zebra,
East African wild dog and
East African cheetah
The East African cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus jubatus''), is a cheetah population in East Africa. It lives in grasslands and savannas of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. The cheetah inhabits mainly the Serengeti ecosystem, including Maasai Ma ...
. A study commissioned by Terra Nuova in 2006 also showed signs of presence of the
African bush elephant
The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one ...
.
Since 2005, the protected area is considered a
Lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
Conservation Unit together with
Lag Badana National Park.
References
* Andaje, S. A. (2002) Factors limiting the Abundance and Distribution of Hirola in Tsavo and Tana River Districts. ''Kenya Wildlife Service: Biodiversity Conservation Unit''.
* Antipa, R. S, Ali, M. H. and Hussein, A. A. (2007
Assessment of the Potential of Eco/Cultural Tourism as Viable Enterprises in Southern Garissa, Ijara and Lamu Districts: A Community Conservation and Enterprise Support Initiative ''National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya''.
* Muchai, M. et al. (2007
The Distribution, Abundance and Habitat Use of the Hunter's Hartebeest (Hirola); Beatragus hunteri; Sclater, 1889 in Ishaqibini Community Wildlife Conservancy and Arawale National Reserve, Kenya ''National Museums of Kenya''.
External links
National Environmental Management Authority of KenyaKenya Wildlife ServiceNational Museums of KenyaEDGE of Existence – Top 100 MammalsIUCN Red ListAfrican Conservation FoundationTerra Nuova webpage(Italian)
Protected areas of Kenya
Protected areas established in 1974
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic
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