We are planning a trip to Kenya this early June (2011) with a tour group. The sites that we are planning to visit are Aberdare National Park, Samburu Game Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Masai Mara National Reserve. The main objective of this tour is to enjoy the spectacular wildlife and scenic landscape of Kenya. However, I have been told and also have read newspaper articles reporting that Kenya has been experiencing a severe drought condition for the last several years that has impacted brutally on wildlife and landscape. As such, wildlife may have been decimated in the game reserves to a point where encountering these magnificent creatures will be made problematic. I am wondering can anyone share his/her thoughts and experiences in this regard. Thank you for all inputs.

There is always drought somewhere in Africa including Kenya and last year seemed somewhat worse than others; yes, quite a number of animals died, but for sure didn't decimate herds.

That said, as soon as the rains came which they did, most all reverts to what was before and lots of babies are born. Don't recall any of the Trip Reports during this past year claiming there was no game to be found... certainly nothing to dissuade tourists from visiting.

In fact the numbers of visitors to Kenya are almost back to those in 2007 before the economic downturn, not due to lack of game. Continue with your plans as you'll be amazed at the quantity of game you'll see.

Thank you for your input and thought Sandi!

Any thoughts as to which might be better for weather and animals...March or April?

Unlike us humans, the animals do not have time shares and don't go on holiday.

The wet can start in March or wait till April or there be no wet at all. Otherwise, the daytime temps are practically the same either months with cool morning/nights always.

Prices though do drop for April travel, but a number of the tented camps (seasonal camps) close during this month.

I just got done reading an installment in WindowlessOffice's report that addresses your concern about drought and animal vieiwng. She recounted a nice sighting of a baby zebra in Amboseli. Counting backwards, it was conceived a year earlier, in the midst of the severe drought. That specific case and conditions in general indicate the prolific rains during the last rainy season, and even into the dry season, have helped restore the environment.

There was a severe drought in 2009. Then excessive rain in 2010. As Sandi mentions, reports during drought or flood still mention a variety of sightings.

My personal experience in Kenya this past Sept for 3 weeks was that wildlife viewing was wonderful. It probably would have been even better if not for the abundance of water sources that allow wildlife to scatter rather than concentrate. If that had been the case, I'd still be sorting photos. As it was, I took 3500 of all the predators you could hope to see, hoofed species, and birds.

<i>"decimated in the game reserves to a point where encountering these magnificent creatures will be made problematic"</i>

This sounds like it is coming from someone who
a) has not been there and is just repeating something they were told.
or
b) is steering you away from Kenya because they sell something else.

I'd look at pricing differences and availability for both March and April to help you decide.

reelman, I was in Kenya (Amboseli, Ol Pejeta and the Mara) last month, and I have no complaints about the game viewing. As atravelynn referenced from a part of my trip report, my guides were quite optimistic about the animals' recovery in drought areas, given the re-emergence of young in those places. I saw progressively more game in each place I visited but even in Amboseli, where it was the quietest, I wasn't disappointed.

I suppose there's never a guarantee of sightings at any given point but, based on what I saw in December, I certainly don't think you should use previous years' droughts as a reason to avoid Kenya.

Thank you for all your input. I will definitely go ahead in making my plan for my Kenya visit in June.

There's also been an unprecedented volume of rain over the last year. Last March, the Ewaso Nyiro river flooded, destroying bridges and all the riverside camps and lodges in Samburu National Reserve, most of which have now been rebuilt or renovated. Yet the river is now bone dry once again, and people are talking about having to dig waterholes.

So the weather is utterly unpredictable – all part of the global climate change we're all experiencing, and supposedly also exacerbated by the La Niña effect over the Pacific.

Richard

Actually,as also compared to other African countries Kenya had experienced drought early 2008 and since then the country has been a destination to visit for many tourist, further more your time of visit is quite okey in which you might have a chance of seeing the wildebeest migration.