Ruma National Park


Bordered by the dramatic Kanyamaa Escarpment, and home to Kenya’s only population of roans (one of Africa’s rarest and largest antelope), is the seldom-visited, 120-sq-km Ruma National Park. Besides roan, other rarities like Bohor’s reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, the tiny oribi antelope and Kenya’s largest concentration of the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe can also be seen here. However, the most treasured residents are some (very-hard-to-see) rhinos, both black and white, that have been translocated from other parks.

Birdlife is also prolific, with 145 different bird species present, including the migratory blue swallow that arrives between June and August.

You wouldn't make this your first African safari, but it's a chance to track down some species you may not see elsewhere. The park also has an oasis feel to it, so intense is the human settlement and cultivation in this part of the country and surrounding the park.


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