Kora National Park

Infobox_protected_area
name = Kora National Park
iucn_category = II


caption = Location of Kora National Park
base_width = 300px
locator_x = 178
locator_y = 176
location = Coast Province, Kenya
nearest_city = Garissa
lat_degrees = 0
lat_minutes = 12
lat_seconds = 31
lat_direction = S
long_degrees = 38
long_minutes = 44
long_seconds = 10
long_direction = E
area = 1,787 km²
established = 1990
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Kenya Wildlife Service

Kora National Park is located in Coast Province, Kenya. The park covers an area of 1,787 square kilometres. It is located 125 kilometres east of Mount Kenya. The park was initially gazetted as a nature reserve in 1973. It was gazetted as a national park in 1990, following the murder of George Adamson by poachers.cite book
last = Hodd
first = Mike
title = Footprint East Africa
publisher = Footprint Travel Guides
date = 2002-01-09
id = ISBN 1-900949-65-2 ]

Meru National Park and the Tana River mark 65 kilometres of the park's northern boundary. Features of the Tana River include Adamson's Falls, Grand Falls and the Kora rapids. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Mwitamvisi River. The park has several seasonal rivers.cite web
last = Kenya Wildlife Service
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Kora National Park
work =
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.kws.org/kora.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = ]

The topography of the park slopes gently from an altitude of 490m in the south-west to an altitude of about 270m in the north-east. The central area of the park is an undulating peneplain. Basement ridges protrude above the surface of the peneplain as rocky inselbergs, domed hills or hard rocks that rise steeply from the surrounding area. The highest of these inselbergs are Mansumbi (488m), Kumbulanwa (450m) and Kora Rock (442m). The cracks and crevices in the inselbergs have become filled with soil, and a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and small wind-blown trees have become established in them.

There is a wide variety of animal species in the park, including the caracal, cheetah, elephant, genet, hippopotamus, spotted and striped hyenas, leopard, lion, serval, wildcat and several types of antelope. The vegetation in the park is mostly comprised of acacia bushland. There are also riverine forests of doum palm and Tana River poplar.

The park had serious problems with poachers in the 1980s and 1990s. George Adamson and two of his assistants were murdered by poachers in the park in 1989. Adamson is buried in the park.

References

External links

* [http://www.kws.org/kora.html Kora National Park] Kenya Wildlife Service (official site)
* [http://www.fatheroflions.org/GeorgeAdamson_Photos_p.3_hsh.html Photos of George Adamsons Kampi Ya Simba in the Kora Reserve.]
* [http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdbpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=2416&level=nat World Database on Protected Areas: Kora National Park]