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Kenya's Wildlife

Wildlife in Kenya

Kenya is a showcase for African wildlife like no other country. More than 100 species of large mammals roam, feed and reproduce across landscapes that often present much the same aspect as in prehistoric times.


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Taking advantage of its wide range of ecoystems – from savannah to alpine moorland and from lowland forest to desert – Kenya’s wildlife displays a huge diversity. Four of the standout ‘Big Five’ – lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo – can be seen in suitable locations right across the country, while the highly endangered black rhino (number 5) is more easily seen in Kenya’s specially protected areas than anywhere else.

In the southwest, the fabled grassy plains and woodlands of the Maasai Mara ecosystem – an Eden-like region well watered by the Mara river and its meandering tributary streams – are the setting for one of the world’s most dramatic natural wildlife spectacles: the annual multiple crossings of the Mara River during the great wildebeest migration.

In parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country, you can see dozens of species of antelope, primates from baboons to bushbabies and predators from cheetahs to hyenas, not to mention giraffes and hippos, more than 1000 species of birds, and a galaxy of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

Great wildlife safaris to Kenya

Here are some of our ideas for great holidays focussed on wildlife in Kenya.


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Black Kite Fly-in Safari

10 days • 4 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

Explore Kenya in-depth with visits to Nairobi and Meru national parks, the Mara Conservancies and Amboseli. Nestled in remoter regions, four camps provide fantastic access to rich game, a range of activities and beautifully diverse landscapes.

US$9,260 - US$11,960 per person

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Gabar Goshawk Fly-in Safari

10 days • 4 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

Experience Amboseli, the Maasai Mara ecosystem and Laikipia during this economically priced safari. Two simple camps offer adventure before a stopover in Nairobi and a final stay in the charming, wildlife-rich Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge.

US$5,800 - US$6,580 per person

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Elephant Safari

10 days • 3 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

This example of a mid-range Kenya safari and beach trip explores the wildlife of Tsavo West's volcanic plains and woodlands, Tsavo East's immense plains and the white-sand beaches and lush environment of Diani Beach.

US$5,130 - US$6,260 per person

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De Brazza Monkey Fly-in Safari

9 days • 3 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

Enjoy a range of activities in the remote wilderness of northern Kenya before exploring the wildlife-rich plains of the Mara ecosystem. Private vehicles and guides heighten the personalisation of this highly immersive safari.

US$12,310 - US$16,320 per person

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Hamerkop Fly-In Safari

8 days • 2 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

Different wildlife, contrasting camps and a whole host of activities, this is a safari for those wanting to get out and about and not just sit in a vehicle.

US$6,350 - US$10,960 per person

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Rothschild Giraffe Safari

8 days • 3 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

A example of a luxury Kenyan safari, starting at the iconic Giraffe Manor before fabulous stays on the spectacular Solio Reserve and Sala’s Camp in a remote corner of the Maasai Mara.

US$11,720 - US$17,830 per person

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Big Cat Fly-in Safari

8 days • 2 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

Combining two of Kenya’s best wildlife-viewing areas, this slow-paced safari to the Lewa Conservancy and Maasai Mara guarantees iconic wildlife. The long-established, well-rated camps are great value, too.

US$5,010 - US$8,850 per person

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Golden Jackal Fly-in Safari

8 days • 2 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

A contrasting safari of a lodge and a tented camp, with action-packed activities in Laikipia and wildlife-filled game drives in the Maasai Mara, offers a consistently high-quality experience.

US$9,730 - US$14,130 per person

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Lanner Falcon Fly-In Safari

8 days • 3 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

Three sister camps offer access to wonderfully remote regions across northern Kenya and the Maasai Mara ecosystem. Enjoy an exclusive safari experience focused on great wildlife, superb guiding and considerable comfort, with a range of activities.

US$6,620 - US$8,400 per person

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African Finfoot Fly-in Safari

7 days • 3 locations
NAIROBI AIRPORT TO NAIROBI AIRPORT

After a unique start in Nairobi National Park, classic, luxurious camps combine for a high-end and exclusive safari in fantastic wildlife destinations.

US$9,900 - US$17,340 per person

Kenya's top camps for wildlife safaris

Click on the dots on the map to show the sightings from that lodges or camps for the species selected. It's based on 6966 reports by 762 groups of our our travellers since May 2018.


Best chances to see

Good chances to see

Some sightings

No sightings yet

Wildlife species in Kenya

Average % sighting of success

Wildlife species in Kenya

Average % sighting of success

Quick facts about Lion

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Scientific name:

Panthera leo

Habitat:

Savanna & woodland

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

120–225kg

Lion

Quick facts about Leopard

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Scientific name:

Panthera pardus

Habitat:

Savanna, woodland, forest, mountains

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

30–90kg

Leopard

Quick facts about Cheetah

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Scientific name:

Acinonyx jubatus

Habitat:

Grassland & woodland

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

50–70kg

Cheetah

Quick facts about Buffalo

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Scientific name:

Syncerus caffer

Habitat:

Floodplains, mixed bush & moist grasslands

IUCN status:

Near-threatened

Adult weight:

500–950kg

Buffalo

Quick facts about Wild dog

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Scientific name:

Lycaon pictus

Habitat:

Savannah & woodland

IUCN status:

Endangered

Adult weight:

20–36kg

Wild dog

Quick facts about Spotted Hyena

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Scientific name:

Crocuta crocuta

Habitat:

Semi-desert, forest, savannah

IUCN status:

Least Concern

Adult weight:

40–80kg

Spotted Hyena

Quick facts about Striped Hyena

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Scientific name:

Hyaena hyaena

Habitat:

Semi-desert, savannah

IUCN status:

Near Threatened

Adult weight:

22–55kg

Striped Hyena

Quick facts about Elephant

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Scientific name:

Loxodonta africana

Habitat:

Woodland and savanna

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

2,500–6,500kg

Elephant

Quick facts about Black Rhino

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Scientific name:

Diceros bicornis

Habitat:

Scrub & open woodland

IUCN status:

Critically Endangered

Adult weight:

800–1,400kg

Black Rhino

Quick facts about White Rhino

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Scientific name:

Ceratotherium simum

Habitat:

Woodland savannah

IUCN status:

Near Threatened

Adult weight:

1,800–2,700kg

White Rhino

Quick facts about Eland

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Scientific name:

Taurotragus oryx

Habitat:

Open savanna & grasslands

IUCN status:

Least concern

Adult weight:

340–940kg

Eland

Quick facts about Gerenuk

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Scientific name:

Litocranius walleri

Habitat:

Flat, dry thornbush

IUCN status:

Near Threatened

Adult weight:

28–52kg

Gerenuk

Quick facts about Giraffe

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Scientific name:

Giraffa camelopardalis

Habitat:

Woodland savanna

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

800–1,200kg

Giraffe

Quick facts about Oryx

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Scientific name:

Oryx beisa and Oryx gazella

Habitat:

Arid savannah

IUCN status:

Endangered (O.b) /Least Concern (O.g)

Adult weight:

120–210kg (O.b) /180–240kg (O.g)

Oryx

Quick facts about Hippo

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Scientific name:

Hippopotamus amphibius

Habitat:

Freshwater rivers & wetlands

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

1,300–2,600kg

Hippo

Quick facts about Wildebeest

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Scientific name:

Connochaetes sp.

Habitat:

Open savannah & grasslands

IUCN status:

Least concern

Adult weight:

250–290kg

Wildebeest

Quick facts about Zebra

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Scientific name:

Equus quagga

Habitat:

Woodland and savannah

IUCN status:

Near Threatened

Adult weight:

155–322kg

Zebra

Quick facts about Aardvark

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Scientific name:

Orycteropus afer

Habitat:

Grassland & woodland

IUCN status:

Least Concern

Adult weight:

60–80kg

Aardvark

Quick facts about Pangolin

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Scientific name:

Smutsia temminkii

Habitat:

Savannah woodland

IUCN status:

Vulnerable

Adult weight:

5–27kg

Pangolin

Kenya's conservancy movement

Kenya’s conservancies mark it out from most other safari countries. These sometimes private, sometimes community-owned wildlife havens are managed locally and often protect critically endangered species.


The end of hunting

The conservancy movement began in the 1990s. A former hunter returned to an old haunt north of Amboseli National Park and found the wildlife gone, the bush raked by livestock. He talked to the Maasai men who had once been his trackers and agreed to lease some of their land on condition they reduced their cattle, sheep and goats. So the Selengei Conservancy was born.

Others followed, in the plains and bush around the Maasai Mara National Reserve, in the former ranchlands of Laikipia, north of Mount Kenya, and across the arid lands of Samburu and beyond. The wildife quickly returned. One of the conservancies’ biggest success stories is the black rhino, with a steadily growing population that should reach 1,000 in the next few years.

Conservancies have become a jewel in Kenya’s safari crown, enabling visitors to experience Kenya’s wildlife without the crowds of the public-access national parks and reserves.

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Wildlife

Other top destinations for wildlife

To understand more about the the wildlife in our other key destinations in Africa, click on the countries below.


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