Arabuko Sokoke National Park
Encyclopedia
The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is located on the coast of Kenya
, 110 km north of Mombassa and is protected as a national Forest Reserve. The Arabuko-Sokoke National Park is only a small portion of the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve, a few square kilometres in size and is located on the north-western edge of the forest. The National Park was gazetted only in the late 1980s and in fact straddles the Forest Reserve boundary with about 50% lying outside the boundary. This outer section actually lies outside an electric elephant fence installed in 2006/7 and is now fully inhabited by local communities to the extent that there is no sign on the ground to show where the National Park begins or ends. The National Park
sadly doesn't add any particular protection to the forest which is the largest fragment of coastal forest
(420 square km) left in East Africa
, and is an area of high endemism
, containing endemic mammals, birds and plants. The Reserve, however, is jointly managed by Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, National Museums of Kenya and the Kenya Forest Research Institute and is one of the better protected forests in Kenya. The forest was first protected as a Crown Forest in 1943, and was gazetted in the 1960s. The forest is threatened by the desire for land by local people. Several national and international conservation
organisations are working with the Kenya Wildlife Service
to protect the park.
The forest contains three forest types, mixed forest, Brachystegia and Cynometra, each of which protects different communities of plants and animals.
is completely endemic to the forest, while the emonymous Sokoke Scops Owl
, Sokoke Pipit
, and the Amani Sunbird
and Spotted Ground Thrush are found only here and in a forest fragment in Tanzania
. The park adjoins Mida Creek, a mangrove
forest that is an important shorebird wintering ground, protecting species such as the Terek Sandpiper
and the Crab Plover
.
The endearing Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew
, an endemic elephant shrew
the size of a rabbit, is the most noticeable of the park's endemic mammals; the Sokoke Bushy-tailed Mongoose and Ader's Duiker
(found only here and in Zanzibar
) are more elusive. The forest also has Forest Elephants, African Civet
s, as well as baboon
s and Vervet Monkey
s. The park is also recognised as an outstanding centre of amphibian diversity.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, 110 km north of Mombassa and is protected as a national Forest Reserve. The Arabuko-Sokoke National Park is only a small portion of the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve, a few square kilometres in size and is located on the north-western edge of the forest. The National Park was gazetted only in the late 1980s and in fact straddles the Forest Reserve boundary with about 50% lying outside the boundary. This outer section actually lies outside an electric elephant fence installed in 2006/7 and is now fully inhabited by local communities to the extent that there is no sign on the ground to show where the National Park begins or ends. The National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
sadly doesn't add any particular protection to the forest which is the largest fragment of coastal forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
(420 square km) left in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, and is an area of high endemism
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
, containing endemic mammals, birds and plants. The Reserve, however, is jointly managed by Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, National Museums of Kenya and the Kenya Forest Research Institute and is one of the better protected forests in Kenya. The forest was first protected as a Crown Forest in 1943, and was gazetted in the 1960s. The forest is threatened by the desire for land by local people. Several national and international conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
organisations are working with the Kenya Wildlife Service
Kenya Wildlife Service
The Kenya Wildlife Service, otherwise known by the initialism KWS, is a Kenyan state corporation that was established in 1990 to conserve and manage Kenya’s wildlife...
to protect the park.
The forest contains three forest types, mixed forest, Brachystegia and Cynometra, each of which protects different communities of plants and animals.
Wildlife of Arabuko-Sokoke
The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest protects many endemic and near endemic species. The Clarke's WeaverClarke's Weaver
The Clarke's Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is endemic to Kenya.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
is completely endemic to the forest, while the emonymous Sokoke Scops Owl
Sokoke Scops Owl
The Sokoke Scops Owl, Otus ireneae, is an owl found in Kenya and Tanzania. The greatest population of this species of owl is in the Cynometra-Manilkara forest, which is less than one-third of the Sokoke forest. It is also found in the Afzelia-Cynometra forest.The Sokoke Scops Owl can grow up to ,...
, Sokoke Pipit
Sokoke Pipit
The Sokoke Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, and the Amani Sunbird
Amani Sunbird
The Amani Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
and Spotted Ground Thrush are found only here and in a forest fragment in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The park adjoins Mida Creek, a mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forest that is an important shorebird wintering ground, protecting species such as the Terek Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper
The Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
and the Crab Plover
Crab Plover
The Crab-plover or Crab Plover is a bird related to the waders, but sufficiently distinctive to merit its own family Dromadidae. Its relationship within the Charadriiformes is unclear, some have considered it to be closely related to the thick-knees, or the pratincoles, while others have...
.
The endearing Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew
Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew
The Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew is the largest of the African elephant shrew family. It is the size of a small rabbit, and is only found in the coastal Arabuko Sokoke National Park north of Mombassa in Kenya. Its name is derived from the conspicuous golden fur on its hindquarters which contrasts...
, an endemic elephant shrew
Elephant shrew
Elephant shrews or jumping shrews are small insectivorous mammals native to Africa, belonging to the family Macroscelididae, in the order Macroscelidea...
the size of a rabbit, is the most noticeable of the park's endemic mammals; the Sokoke Bushy-tailed Mongoose and Ader's Duiker
Ader's Duiker
The Aders' Duiker , also known as Nunga in Swahili, Kunga marara in Kipokomo, and Harake in Giriama), is a small forest dwelling Duiker found only on Zanzibar and in a small coastal enclave in Kenya. It is also critically endangered...
(found only here and in Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
) are more elusive. The forest also has Forest Elephants, African Civet
African Civet
The African Civet is the largest representative of the African Viverridae. It is the sole member of its genus. African Civets can be found from coast to coast across sub-Saharan Africa. They are primarily nocturnal and spend the day sleeping in dense vegetation...
s, as well as baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
s and Vervet Monkey
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
s. The park is also recognised as an outstanding centre of amphibian diversity.
External links
- Kenya Wildlife Service – Arabuko Sokoke National Park
- ASSETS - Arabuko-Sokoke Schools and Eco-tourism Scheme, an initiative aiming at linking forest conservation with local education