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Aberdare National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Aberdare Park entrance
Location of Aberdare National Park
Location	Kenya, Central Province
Nearest city	NyeriNearest city: Nyeri
Coordinates	0°22′48″S 36°41′57″E / 0.38°S 36.69917°E / -0.38; 36.69917Coordinates: 0°22′48″S 36°41′57″E / 0.38°S 36.69917°E / -0.38; 36.69917
Area	766 km²
Established	1950 Established: 1950
Governing body	Kenya Wildlife Service

The Aberdare National Park covers the higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain Range of central Kenya and the Aberdare Salient to their east. Rhino Ark is a charity devoted to the protection of this critical habitat area.^[1]

Overview

The park is located about 100 km north from Nairobi and stretches over a wide variety of terrains because it covers altitudes from about 7,000 feet (2,100 m) to 14,000 feet (4,300 m) above sea level. Established in May 1950, the Aberdare National Park covers an area of 766 square kilometers and forms part of the Aberdare Mountain Range. The park contains a wide range of landscapes - from the mountain peaks that rise to 14,000 feet (4,300 m) above sea level, to their deep, v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Moorland, bamboo forests and rainforests are found at lower altitudes.

Wildlife

Animals easily observed include the lion, leopard, baboon, black and white Colobus monkey, and sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the golden cat and the bongo - an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals like the eland and spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands. The Aberdare National Park also contains a large population of the black rhino. Visitors can also indulge in walking, picnics, in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Even the bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the endangered Aberdare Cisticola, Jackson's Francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers. It is a traditional belief of the Kikuyu that the Aberdare Mountain Range, where this park is located, is one of the homes of Ngai, or God.

Facilities

Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation according to their taste, ranging from the Treetops tree-house lodge, to the Ark - built in the shape of Noah's Ark - and three self-help banda sites, eight special campsites and a public campsite in the moorland. There are also five picnic sites. Both Treetops and Ark provide excellent nighttime wildlife viewing. From here, visitors can observe various animals, such as elephant, buffalo, lion and rhino, which get attracted to the waterholes. The park also includes two airstrips at Mweiga and Nyeri.

Park Entry and Charges

The Park is open daily from 6.00 am to 7.00 pm. Entry on foot is prohibited and visitors are turned away after 6:15 pm.
Entry to the park is by smart card only, obtained and loaded at the main gate.

References

1. ^ "Environmental Expeditions". www.unep.org. http://www.unep.org/expeditions/Expeditions/EA_Montane_Forests/Aberdares.asp. Retrieved 2008-03-17.  

External links

• Kenya Wildlife Service – Aberdare National Park
• World Database on Protected Areas – Aberdare National Park
• United Nations Environmental Programme - Aberdare Range Forests
• Kenyalogy - Aberdares
• Rhino Ark - a charity for the conservation of the Aberdare National Park, "Humans in harmony with habitat and wildlife"

From Wikitravel

Aberdare National Park, is a 767 sq. Kilometres national park in the Central Highlands west of mountain Kenya, 180 kilometres from Nairobi

Understand

The Park is open daily from 6.00 am to 7.00pm. Be advised that no entry is allowed on foot and no visitor will be allowed into the park after6.15pm.

Flora and fauna

Include blue and Columbus monkey, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Warthog, Black Rhino, Giant Forest Hog, bushbuck, Buffalo, Red Duiker, Suni, Serval, Reedbuck, Eland, and the rare bongo antelope. The prolific bird life features 250 recorded species.

Climate

Cool and cloudy with frequent heavy rains in march –June and September to December. Vegetation is Rich Alpine and Sub alpine flora giving way to Bamboo and Mountain

Get in

By Road; Take the A2 out of Nairobi Via Thika in Nyeri. Then Take Nyeri-Nyahururu road out of Nyeri. Ruhuruini, Arkand treetops gates are sign posted off this road. By Air, the nearest air strip is at Mweiga.

Get Around

The Park often becomes impassible for 2Wd vehicles and thus 4WD vehicles are recommended.

Fees/Permits

Kenyan citizen 200Ksh, Kenyan Student and organized groups 50Ksh, Kenyan Children 50Ksh. Non Residents; 40US$, Children 20US$, Students and organized groups 10 US$. Entry to the park is by smart card only. Smartcard may be obtained and loaded at the main gate:

See

Karuru, Gura, Chania and Magura spectacular waterfalls, Heards of elephants and Buffalos,

Do

Hiking Fishing, Mountain climbing, walking, Game drives

• Fishing The streams are well stocked with brown and rainbow trout.

Contact

The warden: P.o.Box 22 Nyeri, Kenya. Tel: +254(0)6155024121

Get out