Malka Mari National Park, National park in North Eastern Province, Kenya
Malka Mari National Park is a protected reserve in North Eastern Kenya that stretches along the Dawa River with semi-arid grasslands and wooded river valleys. The landscape features open plains, rocky hills, deep valleys, and scattered woodland that follows the river course through the terrain.
The reserve was established in 1989 to protect the natural ecosystems and animal populations in this remote corner of Kenya. Its creation reflected efforts to conserve habitats that had previously received little formal protection from the government.
Herding communities have long inhabited these lands, and their pastoral traditions remain deeply woven into the daily life of the region. Visitors can observe how people move through the landscape following age-old patterns tied to water sources and grazing grounds.
Getting there requires either a lengthy overland journey via northern routes or arranging a charter flight to one of two available airstrips. Visitors should prepare for considerable travel time and basic conditions once they arrive at this remote location.
Somali giraffes roam this landscape, a subspecies found in very few places, and Nile crocodiles inhabit the river waters in significant numbers. These two species create an unusual and striking wildlife combination that few visitors get to witness in their natural surroundings.
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