Description

This is an urban forest within the Nairobi city metropolitan. It is managed by Kenya Forest Services in collaboration with Friends of Karura Forest. The later is an NGO that was led by conservationists and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wangari Maathai, who was also the founder of Greenbelt Movement. Karura Forest Reserve is located in the northern part of Nairobi city. At 1,041 hectares, it is one of the largest urban gazetted forests in the world.  The forest contains nearly all the 605 species of wildlife found in Nairobi including three types of antelope. It is managed by Kenya Forest Service (KFS).

Attractions: Wildlife in Karura Forest

Mammals: include

Harvey’s Duiker, Grimm’s Duiker, Bushbucks, Bush pigs, Genet Cats, Civets, Bush babies, Porcupines, Syke’s Monkeys, Ground Squirrel, Hares and the Epauletted-bat.

Reptiles: Include

Pythons, green snakes and monitor lizards.

Birds:

The forest hosts around 200 species of birds including Ayres Hawk-eagle, the African Crowned Eagle, the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, the Hartlaub’s Turaco, the Narina Trogon, Owls, Crested Cranes, Sparrows, Doves, Weavers and Vultures.

Butterflies:

Include the African Queen and Desmond’s Green Banded Swallowtail.

Plants in Karura Forest

Plantations: Cover 632 hectares. Species found include Araucaria cunninghamii, Eucalyptus saligna, E. globula, Grevillea robusta, Cupressus torulosa and Cupressus lusitanica.

Indigenous trees:

Cover 260 hectares. Species include Olea europeae subsp. auspidata, Croton megalocarpus, Warburgia ugandensis (Muthiga), Brachyleana huillensis (Muhugu), Uvaridendron anisatum, Markhamia lutea, Vepris nobilis, Juniperus procera (Cedar), Craebean brownii, Newtonia buchananii, Salvadora persica, Ficus thonningii, Trichilia emetica, Calondendrum capense and Dombeya goetzenii.
Shrubs: Include Strychnos henningsii (Muteta), Erythrococca bongensis (Muharangware), Vangueria madagascariensis (Mubiro), Rhamnus prinoides (Mukarakinga), Caesalpinia volkensii (Mubuthi), Solanum incanum (Mutongu), Elaeodendron buchananii (Mutanga) and Rhus natalensis (Muthigio).

Other plants: There are groves of Arudinaria alpina, Kenya’s native bamboo species along the riparian belts of Gitathuro and Ruaka rivers; exotic giant bamboo Dendrocalamus giganteus along Karura river near the tree nursery, and; small wetlands that are important habitats for birds.

Rules & Regulations

Always walk on the designated trails and tracks. 2. Don’t litter. Unless where there are designated bins, take away all litter with you. 3. Don’t feed wild animals. It makes them unnaturally dependent on people.

Wildlife & Birds