Arawale National Reserve

The Arawale National Reserve is a designated conservation area managed by the Garissa County in assistance with the Kenya Wildlife Service. It lies in North Eastern Province of Kenya, 77 km south of the town of Garissa. The reserve covers an area of 53,324 hectares (533 km2; 206 sq mi).[1] To the west, it is bordered by the Tana River and, to the east, by the Garissa-Lamu road. In 1974, the reserve was gazetted as the only in-situ conservation site for the critically endangered Hirola population endemic to north-eastern Kenya and south-west Somalia.

Arawale National Reserve
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Location of Arawale National Reserve
LocationNorth Eastern Province, Kenya
Nearest cityGarissa
Coordinates01°26′16″S 40°09′35″E
Area533 km2
Established1974
Governing bodyKenya Wildlife Service

Wildlife

The reserve is a critical refuge for a range of wildlife species including four globally threatened species: hirola, Grevy's zebra, East African wild dog and East African cheetah. A study commissioned by Terra Nuova in 2006 also showed signs of presence of the African bush elephant.[2]

Since 2005, the protected area is considered a Lion Conservation Unit together with Lag Badana National Park.[3]

References
  1. World Database on Protected Areas – Arawale
  2. Njoroge, P. et al. (2007) Densities, biomass and habitat preference of large mammals in Arawale National Reserve, Kenya. National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya.
  3. IUCN Cat Specialist Group (2006). Conservation Strategy for the Lion Panthera leo in Eastern and Southern Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: IUCN.


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