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SAMBURU GAME RESERVE
Samburu Game Reserve is situated in the hot and arid fringes of Kenya's vast Northern Frontier District. The area is home to the Samburu tribe, pastoral relatives of the Masai. The landscape is rugged and dramatic - against a backdrop of volcanic mountains, gaunt hills and withered scrub tree punctuate the sparse and dry terrain with clusters of the incredibly hardy desert rose providing the ocassional flash of vivid colour. The Ewaso Nyiro river, lifeline of the area, runs along the southern boundary dividing Samburu from Buffalo Springs Reserve. Crocodile and hippo share the river with the many small herds of elephant which bathe and frolic in the muddy brown waters during the heat of the day before returning later to browse on the lush vegetation of the riverine forest. Buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and plains game may also be seen but a special feature of this Reserve are the various species of game unique to these northern parks - Beisa oryx, the long necked gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and the blue shanked Somali ostrich. Samburu Reserve covers an area of 104 square kms on the northern bank of Ewaso Nyiro river. The reserve has a unique landscapes of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains.
SHABA GAME RESERVE
Shaba Game Reserve is situated in the hot and arid fringes of Kenya's vast Northern Frontier District and lies to the east of Buffalo Springs Reserve, just across the Great North Road. The Reserve takes it's name from a cone of volcanic rock and evidence of the intensity of it's volcanic upheaval is demonstrated by the formidable lava flow which the traveller has to cross to reach this remote wilderness. Shaba's northern border is marked by the flow of the Ewaso Nyiro River on it's way to the Lorian Swamp, it's banks fringed by riverine forest and clusters of doum palms. Many small hills and rocky kopjes punctuate the rugged and dry terrain south of the river. Shaba is home to the many different species of game found in Samburu and Buffalo Springs Reserves with small herds of elephant and other plain game moving freely throughout these three reserves and the surrounding wilderness. Shaba Reserve is 130 km2 on the southern back of the Uaso Nyiro river to the East of Buffalo Springs Reserve. The reserve has a unique landscapes of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains.
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