Have you ever considered a night out in the wilderness? Just you, a tent, and the glittering night sky; a chance to fully immerse yourself in nature and connect with animals in their habitat. Sounds exciting? Well, such an experience would be referred to as fly camping, and it is only one of the numerous attractions on offer at the elusive Mwingi Game Reserve.
A Collective of Reserves
Located within Kitui County, Mwingi National Reserve, also called The Last Frontier, is one of the four parks and reserves located within the 4,400 km2 that make up the Meru Conservational Area (MCA) in North-Eastern Kenya. The other three areas are Bisanadi National Reserve, Kora National Park and Meru National Park. Of the four, Mwingi is the least visited due to its inaccessibility. However, its location and proximity to the other three parks have made it an ideal location, as the animals from the neighbouring areas regularly roam into Mwingi Reserve. Some of the spotted species include caracals, hippos, leopards, crocodiles, warthogs and many more.
Game Rides
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) designated Mwingi Reserve a Wilderness Activity Zone due to the numerous attractions on offer within the area, including bird watching, game viewing and more. Mwingi boasts of hosting over 200 species of birds, including the guineafowl, Somali bee-eater and, for lucky watchers, rare vulturine can even be spotted. Unlike other parks and reserves which offer game drives, Mwingi’s inaccessible terrain does not allow for this. Instead, tourists get an experience like no other as they ride alongside the animals while exploring the reserve on horseback or camelback! Although the area is mainly hot and dry, the cool Tana River flows through the park, providing sustenance for the animals, and, for the visitors, it gives the opportunity to go boat riding or fishing.
Honouring Elsa
To add to its list of unique features, Mwingi Reserve was chosen as the designated resting place of the world-famous Kenyan lioness, Elsa. Elsa was orphaned when she was only a few days old. As a result, she was raised by two rangers, Joy and George Adamson, who later released her back into the wild. Later, when she was a mother herself, Elsa also died prematurely, leaving behind three young cubs. In honour of the legendary lioness, Elsa was buried in her childhood home, and her grave can now be visited at Kampi ya Simba within the reserve. In an effort to increase tourism in the reserve, the Kitui County Government is in the process of improving its accessibility.
Have you ever been to Mwingi National Reserve? What do you think of Elsa’s story?