Meru National Park, wild and remote, traverses the Equator to the east of Mount Kenya and the Nyambeni Range. Meru forms part of a larger conservation area covering 1500 Km² including the adjoining Kora, Rahole and Bisanadi Reserves. The park was brought to fame in the 1960s through Joy Adamson’s best-selling book, Born Free, the true story about Elsa the lioness. A gem in the KWS portfolio, Meru National Park is a semi-arid park boasting 13 permanent rivers and springs, which meander through otherwise dry terrain, flanked by a rich vegetation of doum and raphia palms. The natural habitats of Meru are therefore incredibly diverse, varying from dense thickets and lush riverine forest, to wooded grasslands and open plains.

Meru’s rich wildlife diversity includes rare species specific to Northern Kenya, such as Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, as well as buffalo, elephant, hippo, lion, cheetah and leopard. Caracal, lesser kudu and greater kudu are all exceptional and rare species also found in Meru.

The park also incorporates an 84 Km² rhino sanctuary, making Meru one of the prime destinations to see rhinos in their natural habitat. The birdlife in Meru and Samburu is extraordinarily colourful and abundant with over 450 species of birds.