Kora national Park is another of Kenya’s National Parks and reserves from the coastal region. The park covers an area of 1,7800sq km along the riverbanks of
Tana River
, 125km east of Mount Kenya.
The former nature reserve was gazetted into a Kenya wildlife game park around 1990. The park is made up of gentle sloping hills stretching from the
Aberdare ranges
and
Mount Kenya
from central Kenya. The landscape is predominantly marked with rocky inselbergs raising to 488m, shrubs, woodlands, doum palms.
The park is featured and famed by the Adamsons in the film Born Free or talk of the Lioness called Elsa. George Adamson was killed by Poachers in this very reserve in 1989 before it gazzetted into a National park. Take some time off to visit
George Adamson
’s grave found within the park.
Sights & Attractions
The park is crossed and nourished by many seasonal rivers flowing from the central Kenyan highlands such as
Tana River
and Mwitamyisi on the north eastern border. The Tana river marks its 65km journey from Mount Kenya highlands on the northern boundary of the park forming Adam’s falls, Grand Falls and Kora rapids.
The park is filled with several game such as elephants, cheetahs, wild dogs, stripped and spotted hyenas, leopards, lesser kudu, genet, hippos, caracal, lion, serval and very many other small mammals. You can visit the abundant game park any time of the year for Game viewing and rock climbing.
Fishing is good on the rivers with catches like Tilapia and perch, over 21 species of fish are caught in the Tana River. The park is a habitat for 500 insect species, mollusks and more than 40 different reptiles.
How to get there
Kora National park is accessed by 280km road north east of Nairobi via Thika, Mwingi and Kyuso villages. There is an airstrip 10km in the eastern side of the park often used by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). A small bridge connects the prak with the neighboring Meru National Park.
Accommodation within the park is limited/ not available but there are plenty of Kenya safari lodges and camps in the neighboring Meru National Park.
