Interactive planner. Choose a travel month and one or more species; reserves are ranked by the average visibility estimate for your selection.
Reserves, ranked for you
Pick at least one animal above to see the ranking.
Three things the data will not let you assume
- Mount Longonot has no lions, which is what makes hiking there safe.
- Lake Nakuru has no elephants — they were never introduced, to protect the yellow-fever acacia woodland.
- Amboseli currently has no wild rhino population.
The underlying data
| Reserve | Lion | Leopard | Cheetah | African elephant | Rhino (black & white) | Giraffe | African buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maasai Mara National Reserve | 95% | 65% | 85% | 85% | 10% | 95% | 90% |
| Amboseli National Park | 60% | 20% | 40% | 99% | 0% | 70% | 85% |
| Lake Nakuru National Park | 50% | 60% | 0% | 0% | 98% | 90% | 95% |
| Tsavo East & West National Parks | 55% | 35% | 30% | 90% | 5% | 80% | 75% |
| Samburu National Reserve | 65% | 80% | 55% | 85% | 0% | 90% | 40% |
| Ol Pejeta Conservancy | 80% | 45% | 35% | 85% | 99% | 90% | 90% |
| Lake Bogoria National Reserve | 5% | 15% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 10% | 20% |
| Mount Kenya National Park | 5% | 30% | 0% | 60% | 0% | 0% | 70% |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy | 75% | 55% | 60% | 85% | 95% | 90% | 80% |
| Mount Longonot National Park | 0% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 60% | 40% |
| Aberdare National Park | 10% | 40% | 0% | 95% | 70% | 0% | 95% |
Best season
| Maasai Mara National Reserve | Best: July–October (great migration) |
|---|---|
| Amboseli National Park | Best: June–October, January–February |
| Lake Nakuru National Park | Best: year-round |
| Tsavo East & West National Parks | Best: May–October |
| Samburu National Reserve | Best: June–October |
| Ol Pejeta Conservancy | Best: year-round (June–October dry season is best) |
| Lake Bogoria National Reserve | Best: August–October (depending on flamingo movements) |
| Mount Kenya National Park | Best: December–March (for trekking and forest viewing) |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy | Best: June–October (dry season) |
| Mount Longonot National Park | Best: year-round (avoid the long rains for hiking) |
| Aberdare National Park | Best: December–March, June–October (dry seasons) |
Where these numbers come from
Expert estimates by Simba Qiang Zhuo (Mara Wildlife Conservation Academy), based on ecological distribution, years of field observation records and feedback from conservation guides. Each value is the estimated probability of clearly observing that species on a typical three-day itinerary. These are informed estimates, NOT measured survey statistics — no sample sizes or confidence intervals are implied.
© Simba Qiang Zhuo / Mara Wildlife Conservation Academy. Originally published by the author at https://lionman822.github.io/kenyasafariguide/ and reproduced here, with attribution, on the foundation he co-founded. Not licensed for redistribution: contact Habitat Watcher Foundation for permission to reuse.