Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve
Wildlife & Animals
Kenya Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the DK Eyewitness Guide to Kenya.
Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve supports many interesting large mammal species but seeing them is challenging. On the Big Five front, it is home to around 300 elephants and 200 buffalo, as well as a few secretive leopards. Images of lions – presumably wanderers from nearby Tsavo East National Park – have been captured on camera trap. Antelope include blue duiker, Ader’s duiker and suni, while the most common primates are yellow baboon and blue monkey.
Wildlife Highlights
Arabuko Sokoke is home to three endemic or near-endemic small mammals. The golden-rumped elephant shrew is an endangered and shy endemic that might be glimpsed on guided walks before it makes a mad dash into the undergrowth. The more elusive Sokoke dog mongoose and Aders’s duiker are both listed as vulnerable and otherwise only known from a couple of sites in Tanzania. Butterflies are plentiful and the checklist of 280 species includes four found nowhere else in the world.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Arabuko Sokoke can be visited throughout the year, but heavy rains might interfere with drives and forest hikes. There is rain along the coast throughout the year, but the peak of the short rains in November and the long rains in April and May are the wettest times.
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