Shimba Hills National Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the DK Eyewitness Guide to Kenya.

Shimba Hills National Reserve is a key sanctuary for the sable antelope. It is the only reserve in Kenya where this striking large antelope can be seen, and one of the last few refuges anywhere for the East African subspecies Roosevelt’s sable. Other common wildlife includes buffalo, bushbuck, warthog, yellow baboon and Angola colobus. The reserve supports a population of around 200 elephants. Introduced wildlife includes impala, Coke’s hartebeest and giraffe, but only the impala population is doing well.

ElephantOccasional

GiraffeRare

HippoNone

BuffaloCommon

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahNone

HyenaRare

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

Shimba’s elephants mostly stick to the forest interior and tend to be shy when they range out into the grassland. They are quite often seen from lookout points such as Elephant Hill, which offers an eagle’s-eye view over the forest. Primates likely to be encountered by day include yellow baboon, blue monkey, red-tailed monkey, vervet monkey and Angola colobus. Overnight visitors should listen out for the piercing nocturnal cries of tree hyrax and the reserve’s three species of bush baby. The only large carnivores in the reserve are leopard and spotted hyena, though neither is easily seen.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Shimba Hills can be visited year-round, although the best months for wildlife viewing are July to September and January to February. There is rain along the coast throughout the year, and heavy downfalls may restrict game drives and hiking trips. The less appealing time to visit is during the short rains (October and November) and the long rains (April and May). In between these two rainy periods, December to March is usually dry.