AHSC004 7 Days Masai Mara | Samburu Adventure

AHSKL004 7 Days Tree Hotel | Samburu | Lake Nakuru |  Mara

AHSKL007 10 Days Mt. Kenya/ Samburu/ Aberdares/ Nakuru/ Mara / Amboseli

Samburu Safaris and Tours

Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves
Samburu National Reserve lies 325 km north of Nairobi in the hot and arid fringes of the vast northern region of Kenya. The Reserve is within the lands of the colourful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai, and harbours a number of wildlife species rarely found elsewhere in any numbers. These include Grevy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the Beisa oryx all species found only north of the equator. The long-necked gerenuk is a graceful antelope which spends much of its time in a bi-pedal stance seeking succulence among the withered scrub which dots this harsh terrain. Scenically and faunally dramatic, for most of the year Samburu is sere under the unsympathetic equatorial sun. But relief comes from the wide swathe of the Ewaso Ngiro River which rises some hundreds of kilometres to the west on the foothills of the Aberdares and which vanishes beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian swamp.

The river is at its best in the Reserve, broad and sluggish with a large population of crocodile seen on sandbanks at almost every bend. In the lower reaches, where permanent pools have formed as a tributary joins the river, are hippo. The river is fringed with giant acacias, figs and doum palms all of which provide shade and sustenance to the wildlife which comes to water. Elephant roam the gaunt hills which punctuate the scrubland and where occasional clusters of the vividly coloured desert rose challenge the arid surroundings. These elephant seek solace and contentment in the shallow waters of the river and from time to time a visitor finds herds bathing and drinking in a spectacle of unconscious pleasure.

ANIMALS & BIRDS

The reserves are relatively small and animals are easy to find, with a number of weird and wonderful species endemic to this area. Notably the gerenuk - also known as the 'giraffe necked antelope' because of its ridiculously stretched neck adapted for browsing high into the bushes. Another local inhabitant is the Grevy's zebra, which resembles an ass with wide stripes that don't quite go all the way under the belly. Reticulated giraffes are different from their southern cousins in their perfectly arranged pattern. A very common dwarf antelope in these parts is the tiny dik dik, who is devoted to its mate for its entire lifetime.

Many other species exist in these reserves and large crocs and hippos inhabit the river. Leopard, lion, cheetah and hyena are found here and an unusual treat is that leopards are commonly seen in daylight.

Birds are numerous and 365 species have been recorded in Buffalo Springs reserve.

SEASONS

Temperatures reach 104°F (40°C) in the day with a low of 68°F (20°C) at night
Rainy Season: It may rain anytime during the hot months of April to June, then again in November and December. November is usually the wettest month.
Dry Season: January through to March are very hot and dry, and again from July to October. July is normally the driest month.

SAMBURU-SHABA-BUFFALO SPRINGS SPECIALITIES

· Gerenuk 'giraffe necked' antelope
· Reticulated giraffe
· Grevy's zebra
· Riverside lodges
· Leopards in daylight
· Samburu people

FACTS
Location: Kenya
Area: 4,007,076 hectares (15,471 square miles)
Key features: Mt. Kenya National Park; Laikipia; Samburu National Reserve; Buffalo Springs National Reserve; Shaba National Reserve
The altitude of this area is between 2,500-4,000 feet (762-1,219 metres) This is a malarial area

Systems
Acacia-grassland savanna mosaic
Ewaso Nyiro River and watershed
Elephant migration corridors
Ecological Communities

Intact wet montane forest
Dry montane (cedar) forest
Loroki plateau grassland
Species Assemblages

Northern specialist species (reticulated giraffe, somali ostrich, oryx, gerenuk)
Free ranging large predators (lions, hyenas, leopards)
Semi-endemic avifauna
Species

African wild dog
Grevy's zebra
Black rhino
 

Buffalo Springs National Reserve

Buffalo Springs National Reserve is separated from the Samburu Reserve by the river; less hilly and less dense than its neighbour it is equally as attractive. The Reserve takes its name from an oasis of limpid crystal clear water at the western end of the sanctuary. In addition to the wildlife found in Samburu the common zebra is also an attraction often marching with its cousin the Grevy, although they do not interbreed. An unexplained phenomenon is why the common zebra is not found on the north side of the river. Birdlife, too, is prolific with the Somali ostrich dominating the plains. Larger than its southern relative the Maasai ostrich it is more easily distinguished by its indigo legs and neck. Next in size is the kori bustard who stands a metre high. His behaviour is unpredictable, at times running or crouching at the first sign of danger and at others completely fearless of humans. The male has a remarkable display inflating his neck and neck feathers until the head seems to disappear then raising his tail until it lies along his back.

Shaba National Reserve

These two reserves, with Shaba which lies east of the road linking Isiolo with Marsabit, form a trio of unusual and attractive game sanctuaries very different from others in Kenya. Shaba has a particular place in the history of Kenya game conservation for it was in this reserve that the authoress, Joy Adamson, was murdered early in 1980, her trilogy of books on the rehabilitation of the compliant leopard to a wild environment unfinished. The reserve takes its name from a massive cone of volcanic rock which dominates the region and evidence of the intensity of its upheaval is demonstrated by the formidable lava flow which the traveler has to cross to reach the reserve and the lodge. The Reserve's northern boundary is marked by the wide, sauntering motion of the Ewaso Ngiro on its way to Chanler's Falls and beyond to its final destination at the Lorian Sw& the tall doum palms which mark its course in silent contrast to the rugged and pitted tracts which make up much of the sanctuary. Many small hills dot the landscape and with four springs Shaba is better watered than its neighbours.

Heavy downpours during the rainy months may render the already rough tracks accessible only for four-wheel drive vehicles. But this only serves to make the 220 sq km reserve even more of a getaway delight. And that is the essence of Shaba. It is a place for the connoisseur, where the quality of the experience exceeds the quantity of wildlife.

Samburu has major activities like camel riding  walking single file along a dry riverbed, you realise you are in a pretty parched area. The three National Reserves of Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba are at the beginning of the dry north where camels become commonplace.
However, it is not a completely parched area as it is watered by the Uaso Nyiro River or 'River of Brown Water' in Samburu. This is an essential and sometimes erratic water source for all the inhabitants, including a considerable amount of wildlife in the reserves and Samburu cattle and goats.

Out of the north Kenyan tribes of Samburu, Rendille, Turkana and Borana, the Samburu dominate this area. To the uninformed eye they could be confused with the Maasai - for they are closely related and wear similar bright clothing and jewellery and have the same cultural beliefs. They continue their nomadic pastoralist lifestyle as they have done for hundreds of years.

The scrub desert, desiccated savannah and small hills of this region create overriding colours of muted greens, dusty creams, sand yellow, earthen ochre and every shade of brown. Perfect camouflage colours for the many animals that inhabit these parks.

Samburu the heart of Kenya
Located just north of the equator in the rain-shadow of Mt. Kenya, this Heartland includes parts of Mt. Kenya National Park and Samburu National Reserve, plus extensive ranch and communal lands. Important elephant migration corridors exist in this Heartland, as well as northern specialty species like reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, beisa oryx and gerenuk. Free-ranging lions, hyenas and leopards live along side avifauna, wild dogs, Grevy's zebra and black rhinoceros. Intact wet montane forests, dry cedar forests, Loroki plateau grassland, acacia-grassland and the Ewaso Nyiro River are part of the Samburu Heartland.

TRIBES & PEOPLE GROUPS

SAMBURU

The Samburu are related to the Masai although they live just above the equator where the foothills of Mount Kenya merge into the northern desert and slightly south of Lake Turkana in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya.

They are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose lives revolve around their cows, sheep, goats, and camels. Milk is their main stay; sometimes it is mixed with blood. Meat is only eaten on special occasions. Generally they make soups from roots and barks and eat vegetables if living in an area where they can be grown.

Most dress in very traditional clothing of bright red material used like a skirt and multi-beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings, especially when living away from the big cities.

The Samburu developed from one of the later Nilotic migrations from the Sudan, as part of the Plains Nilotic movement. The broader grouping of the Maa-speaking people continued moving south, possibly under the pressure of the Borana expansion into their plains. Maa-speaking peoples have lived and fought from Mt. Elgon to Malindi and down the Rift Valley into Tanzania. The Samburu are in an early settlement area of the Maa group.

Those who moved on south, however (called Maasai), have retained a more purely nomadic lifestyle until recently when they have also begun farming. The expanding Turkana ran into the Samburu around 1700 when they began expanding north and east.

The language of the Samburu people is also called Samburu. It is a Maa language very close to the Maasai dialects. Linguists have debated the distinction between the Samburu and Maasai languages for decades.

Generally between five and ten families set up encampments for five weeks and then move on to new pastures. Adult men care for the grazing cattle which are the major source of livelihood. Women are in charge of maintaining the portable huts, milking cows, obtaining water and gathering firewood. Their houses are of plastered mud or hides and grass mats stretched over a frame of poles. A fence of thorns surrounds each family's cattle yard and huts.

Their society has for long been so organized around cattle and warfare (for defense and for raiding others) that they find it hard to change to a more limited lifestyle. The purported benefits of modern life are often undesirable to the Samburu. They remain much more traditional in life and attitude than their Maasai cousins.

Duties of boys and girls are clearly delineated. Boys herd cattle and goats and learn to hunt, defending the flocks. Girls fetch water and wood and cook. Both boys and girls go through an initiation into adulthood, which involves training in adult responsibilities and circumcision for boys and clitoridectomy for girls.