Boni National Reserve

The Boni National Reserve is a national reserve for conservation and lies in the North Eastern Province of Kenya in the Ijara District. The reserve covers an area of over 1200 km² and is managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Service. It was gazetted in 1976 as a dry season sanctuary for elephants in Ijara District, Lamu District and Somalia. Unfortunately, elephant population has been greatly reduced by poaching (1).

Vegetation

The Boni forest, after which the reserve is named, is an indigenous open canopy forest and part of the Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Northern_Zanzibar-Inhambane_coastal_forest_mosaic] . Harbouring densities of plant species that are among the highest in the world, the forest has been declared a biodiversity hotspot.

Wildlife

Common herbivores in the region include hippopotamus, bushpig, warthog, buffalo, common duiker, topi and waterbuck. Common carnivores in the reserve are the vulnerable African Wild Dog and the aardwolf. Although extremely rare, african elephants are also present in the reserve. (1)

Birds

As part of the East African coastal forest, it is likely to hold bird species characteristic of the coastal forests of eastern Africa, possibly including globally threatened species such as Sokoke Pipit. (1)

References

# Githiru, M. et al. (2007) Density, distribution and habitat use by large mammals in Boni National Reserve and the neighbouring Northern Buffer Zone, NE Kenya. National Museums of Kenya.
* Antipa, R. S, Ali, M. H. and Hussein, A. A. (2007) [http://www.terranuova.info/file_download/48 Assessment of the Potential of Eco/Cultural Tourism as Viable Enterprises in Southern Garissa, Ijara and Lamu Districts: A Community Conservation and Enterprise Support Initiative] . National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya.
* Antipa, R. S, Ali, M. H. and Hussein, A. A. (2007) [http://www.terranuova.info/file_download/49 Preservation and Maintenance of Biological Diversity Related Knowledge of Indigenous Diversity and Local Communities with Traditional Lifestyles Boni Forest, Ijara District] . National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya.

External links

* [http://www.terranuova.info/progetti/prog_risorse_kenia Transboundary Environmental Project (TEP) by Terra Nuova]
* [http://www.museums.or.ke/ National Museums of Kenya]
* [http://www.nema.go.ke/about.html National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya]
* [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Northern_Zanzibar-Inhambane_coastal_forest_mosaic The Encyclopaedia of Earth: Northern Zanzibar Inhambane coastal forest mosaic]
* [http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/coastal_forests/Pages/default.aspx#indepth Biodiversity Hotspots: Coast Forests of Eastern Africa]