Tucked away in Kenya’s remote northern frontier, Samburu National Reserve may be lesser known, but it is a hidden gem teeming with wildlife. Set along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, the reserve is a vital oasis that draws animals from the arid savannah, making it a prime safari destination year-round.

Samburu is renowned for its rare northern “Samburu Special Five”:

• Grevy’s zebra
• Reticulated giraffe
• Somali ostrich
• Gerenuk
• Beisa oryx

The reserve is also home to iconic African predators including lions, leopards, and cheetahs. One of its most legendary stories is that of Kamunyak, the miracle lioness known for adopting an oryx calf—an extraordinary example of nature’s mysteries found only in Samburu.