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Shimba Hills National Reserve

Shimba Hills National Reserve

History

Shimba Hills National Reserve is a National Park in the Coast Province of Kenya in Kwale District of Coast Province, 300 km2, 33 km from Mombasa and 15 km from the coast. The National Reserve is mainly an area of coastal rain forest. Over 50% of the 159 rare plants in the country are found in Shimba Hills especially the endangered species of cycad and orchids. It is a home for butterflies and birds.

The gazette of Shimba Hills as a National Forest was in 1903 and grassland areas were incorporated in 1924. The reserve was double gazetted as the Shimba Hills National Reserve in 1968 Mkongani West Forest Reserve and Mkongani North remain as Forest Reserves to the west of Shimba Hills. On the north of Shimba Hills lies Mwaluganje Forest Reserve.

Shimba Hills is rich in flora and fauna and is the home for many African elephant in Kenya. Bushy tailed mongoose, sable antelope, elephant shrew, black and rufous etc are among other animal species found there. In addition, it is a home for birds and local species such as Croaking Cisticola, Zanzibar Red Bishop and red necked spurfowl.

Traveling

To get to Shimba Hills take a ferry at Likoni, cross. This is where Tiwi and Diani beaches can be found. Take the main A14 coast road 10km southwards until you join the main road. Follow the road climbing Kwale Town (C106). The main gate is located at 1 km from the C106 road and 3 km from Kwale.

Weather

The weather is mostly moist and hot but with strong sea breeze and frequent mist and cloud in early mornings. The annual rainfall is between 855mm and 1682mm with mean temperature of 24.2 degrees centigrade.

Tourists who are planning to visit Shimba Hills should expect to go camping, trekking and game viewing hence they should carry drinking water, camera, hat, sunglasses, guidebooks, binoculars, picnic items and basic camping equipment for those intending to sleep overnight etc

Animals

The animals you will see include Elephants, Sheldrick Falls, Mwaluganje Forest, Sable Antelope, Giraffes, Leopard, Genet, Waterbuck, Buffalo, Civet cat, Hyenas, African Bush Baby, Monkey, Black and Red Shrew, Greater Galogo, Black-faced Vervet Monkey, Sykes Monkey, Blue Duiker, Coastal Black and white Colobus.

In addition there are 111 birds species of which 22 are coastal endemic including Falcon, Cuckoo, Guinea fowl, Kenya Crested, Greater, African Hawk, Ostrich Eagle, Crowned, Hornbill, Blue, Quail, Sunbird, Uluguru. Shimba Hills also houses reptiles like Python, Gecko, Lizard, Cobra and insects like Butterflies, Mosquito and Beetle.


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