Meru National Park

This was the wilderness into which George & Joy Adamson released Elsa the lioness, creating the much-loved film Born Free. The Meru National Park is one of the wildest areas in Kenya offering amazing wildlife.

Meru National Park Facts

• Size: 900km²
• When to visit the park: June - October (warmer - preferred), January - March (hottest season)
• Climate: Warm with low humidity.
• Rainfall: 635-762mm in the west and 305-356mm in the east.
• Altitude: 304m - 1036m above sea level

Information On Meru National Park

Straddling the equator and bisected by 13 rivers and numerous mountain-fed streams, Meru National Park is wild and one of the most beautiful parks in Kenya. A green paradise compared to the dry savannah of Kenya's parks, this was the wilderness into which George & Joy Adamson released Elsa the lioness, creating the much-loved film 'Born Free'. It has diverse scenery from woodlands to wide-open plains, meandering riverbanks, hilly landscapes and rich grey alluvial volcanic soil deposits. Three large rivers border the reserve: the Tana to the south, the Ura to the south-west and the Rojeweru to the east.

Game viewing in Meru includes large herds of buffalo, bushbuck, duiker, eland, elephant, gazelle, genet, giraffe, hartebeest, impala, kudu, waterbuck and zebra. Expect to see baboons, hyena, jackal, kudu, large prides of lion, mongoose, Oryx, Oribi, Vervet monkeys and warthog. You may see wild dog, bushbaby, caracal, cheetah, civet, Dik-dik, leopard, otter, bush pig, porcupine, Black and white rhino. The rivers abound with hippo and crocodile and fishing is permitted at campsites and along the Tana River. Birdlife includes Peter's finfoot which inhabits the Murera and Ura Rivers, the Pel's Fishing Owl, Kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters, starlings and numerous weavers.

Where is Meru National Park located?

350km north-east of Nairobi below the Nyambeni Hills and +- 50km east of Mount Kenya is where the Meru is located. For a birds-eye view of the national park, please click the following Google Maps links; Google Maps - Meru National Park

Near the bottom of the page is our Samburu and Meru lodge map, ideal for when one is looking for safari lodges and camps within this area of Kenya.

Main Attractions Of Meru National Park

• The former home of Joy and George Adamson and the grave of Elsa the lioness
• Adamson's Falls
• Game Viewing and stunning views of Mt Kenya