Wild and undeveloped Mkomazi spreads along the Kenya border in the shadow of the Pare Mountains, its dry savannah lands contrasting sharply with the moist forests of the Pares. The main reasons for visiting are for birding and to appreciate the evocative nyika bush landscapes studded with baobab and thorn acacia and broken by low, rocky hills. Despite its relative ease of access, Mkomazi is still well off the beaten track.
The reserve is known for its black rhinos, which were introduced into the area from South Africa for breeding in a project spearheaded by Tony Fitzjohn, the force behind conservation work in Mkomazi. The rhinos are within a heavily protected 45-sq-km enclosure in north-central Mkomazi, and not viewable as part of general tourism.
In addition to the rhinos, there are wild dogs (also reintroduced and, as part of a special endangered species program, also not viewable as part of general tourism). Animals that you’re more likely to spot include oryx, eland, dik-dik, the rarely seen gerenuk, kudu, Coke’s hartebeest and an array of birds. The huge seasonal elephant herds that once crossed regularly between Tsavo and Mkomazi are beginning to come back, after reaching a low point of just a dozen elephants in the area in 1989, although elephants still are not commonly spotted in Mkomazi.
Walking safaris can be arranged at Zange main gate (US$20 guide fee, plus US$20 to US$25 walking tour fee).
