Shaba National Reserve is a protected area in northern Kenya to the east of the Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. Together, the three reserves form a large protected area.
The Shaba reserve has dramatic scenery including river-side forests, scattered woodlands and dry grasslands dominated by the Shaba Hill volcano. The plentiful wildlife relies on waterholes and marshes scattered throughout the reserve. Shaba is home to the endangered Grevy's zebra and the rare Williams's lark. Shaba was the setting for the book and film Born Free, for the film Out of Africa and for the reality show Survivor: Africa.
The reserve is a popular destination for tourists. There is some risk that excess numbers of visitors and growth of the local population around the reserve may place stress on the environment.
The Shaba National Reserve was gazetted in 1974. It is administered by the Isiolo County Council. It is just east of Samburu and 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the north of Mount Kenya. The Ewaso Ngiro river runs for 34 kilometres (21 mi) along the northern boundary of the reserve.[3] Annual rainfall is between 250 millimetres (9.8 in) and 500 millimetres (20 in). The soils are sandy, volcanic in origin.[3] The reserve is semi desert, dotted with isolated hills and plentiful springs. Shaba Hill in the south, with its volcanic formations, rises to 2,145 metres (7,037 ft) above sea level from relatively flat surrounding country. The land at the foot of this hill is rugged, containing steep ravines.
Shaba is smaller than Samburu Reserve and has more riverine forests, which contain acacia elatior and doum palms. Away from the river the habitats include umbrella thorn acacia woodland, bush land dominated by commiphora, alkaline grasslands and open areas of lava rock that contain scattered patches of grass and shrubs.
We visited here in August 2019, September 2020 and February 2022.
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