Famed for its “complete wilderness” feel, Kora National Park, located in Tana River County, offers an authentic wildlife safari experience set within a pristine wilderness of towering inselbergs and dramatic riverine landscapes. This is not a park of manicured roads and crowded viewing points; it is a place where the wild still holds sway, where the silence is broken only by the call of birds and the rustle of unseen creatures moving through the bush.
Kora preserves the legacy of the Adamson’s pioneering wildlife conservation efforts, inviting visitors to connect with a significant chapter of Kenya’s conservation story. It was here that George Adamson, the legendary “father of lions,” spent his final years rehabilitating captive-bred lions and releasing them into the wild. His unwavering belief in the possibility of coexistence between humans and wildlife continues to echo through the park’s rugged hills and along the banks of the Tana River. To walk through Kora is to walk in the footsteps of a man who dedicated his life to proving that wild animals could be returned to the wild, and that they deserved the chance to try.
Seasonal rivers crisscross the park, their dry beds transforming into rushing streams during the rains, while the Tana River forms its northern boundary with Meru National Park. This creates expansive wildlife corridors that enhance movement, exploration, and safari experiences, allowing elephants, hippos, and a rich diversity of birdlife to roam freely across the landscape. The park is also a haven for lesser-known species, offering a refuge for wildlife that thrives away from the more frequented tourist circuits.
Recognizing the critical importance of this landscape, KWS Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga recently received a courtesy call from Hon. Yakub Adow, Member of Parliament for Bura Constituency, and Hon. Jibril Mohamud, Member of County Assembly for Bangale Ward in Tana River County. The discussions centred on efforts to ensure communities bordering the park benefit from park operations, interventions to improve peaceful coexistence between communities and wildlife, and securing wildlife dispersal areas.
The meeting was a recognition that conservation cannot succeed in isolation. For Kora to thrive, the communities living alongside it must thrive as well. The discussions explored ways to strengthen community engagement, enhance benefit-sharing mechanisms, and ensure that local people see wildlife as an asset rather than a liability, in alignment with the KWS Strategic Plan, which prioritises enhancing community and stakeholder participation and expanding Kenya’s wildlife economy. When communities derive tangible benefits from conservation through employment, enterprise development, and revenue sharing, they become its strongest defenders.
A key focus of the discussions was the need to secure wildlife dispersal areas. As human populations grow and land use evolves, the corridors that allow animals to move between Kora, Meru, and other protected areas are increasingly under threat. Protecting these corridors is essential for maintaining genetic diversity, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and ensuring that Kora’s wilderness remains intact for future generations.
The partnership between KWS and local leaders is a vital step toward building a future where both people and wildlife can thrive. By working together, they are ensuring that Kora’s legacy of wilderness, resilience, and coexistence, endures.
To support KWS conservation efforts and help protect parks like Kora, please visit https://kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke/donate