Animals in Kenya
Lion
Panthera leo
Kenya has no national animal set by law, but the lion is the one most closely tied to the country. The 2010 constitution names only the flag, the anthem, the coat of arms and the public seal as national symbols, and two golden lions holding spears have stood on that coat of arms since independence in 1963. A lion also appears on the 10 shilling coin issued in 2018, and the national rugby team is known as the Simbas, the Swahili word for lions. The 2021 wildlife census counted 2,589 lions in Kenya, and the Maasai Mara remains one of the best places in Africa to watch them.
Wildlife in Kenya
Kenya sits on the equator in East Africa, and at about 580,000 square kilometers it is a little larger than France. Of the 47.6 million people counted in the 2019 census, more than four million live in Nairobi, while much of the rest of the country is farmland, open rangeland and wild country. Few places pack so much inside one border: a warm Indian Ocean coast with coral reefs, dry bush and desert in the north around Lake Turkana, the great savannas of the south, the Rift Valley with its chain of lakes, and cool highlands that climb to the glaciers of Mount Kenya at 5,199 meters. Being on the equator, Kenya has no real summer or winter. Instead it has two rainy seasons, the long rains from March to May and the short rains from October to December, and the dry months in between are the easiest time to find animals.
The land shaped how Kenyans live. Maasai and Samburu herders have grazed their cattle beside wild animals for centuries, and the fertile highlands made Kenya one of the world's leading exporters of tea. Conservation has deep roots too: Nairobi National Park, created in 1946, was the country's first, and its plains still hold wildlife within sight of the city's towers. Kenya banned sport hunting in 1977, and in 2016 it burned 105 tonnes of ivory to show it would not trade in it. Mount Kenya, the parks of Lake Turkana and the lakes of the Rift Valley are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and in 2021 the country carried out its first national wildlife census. Today community conservancies, where herders share their land with wildlife and earn an income from tourism, protect large areas beyond the parks.
Tourism follows the same map. A record 2.7 million international visitors arrived in 2025, most of them heading for the Maasai Mara, Amboseli at the foot of Kilimanjaro, Tsavo, Samburu and Lake Nakuru, with Nairobi as the main gateway and the beaches of Diani and Watamu at the end of the trip. Wildlife follows these contrasts: big cats and huge herds of grazers on the southern plains, elephants and animals built for dry country in the north, flamingos on the Rift Valley lakes, and whales, sharks and sea turtles along the coast.
Most Dangerous Animals in Kenya
In Kenya, wild animals are a real risk mostly for the people who live alongside them rather than for visitors on organized safaris. Between July 2023 and June 2025 the Kenya Wildlife Service recorded more than 26,000 conflicts between people and wildlife, which left 255 people dead. A long term review by the agency found that just five kinds of animals cause about nine in ten of these deaths: snakes, elephants, crocodiles, hippos and buffalo.
Snakes are the deadliest. The Ministry of Health estimates about 15,000 snakebites a year, most of them among farmers and herders in rural areas far from a hospital, and several highly venomous snakes live in the bush, on farmland and on rocky ground. Elephants cause most of the damage to crops and homes, especially where farms border parks such as Tsavo and the Aberdares, and many deadly encounters happen at night when herds raid the fields. Crocodiles and hippos are the main danger along rivers and lakes such as the Tana and Lake Victoria, where people fish, wash and fetch water every day. Big cats and hyenas mostly threaten livestock, which is why herders pen their animals inside thorn enclosures at night. Along the coast, large sharks live offshore, but incidents with people are rare.
Top 10 Animals in Kenya
Kenya's most famous animals are the ones people picture when they think of a safari, and most of them can be seen in a single trip. The Maasai Mara is the best known place for big cats, which hunt across open grassland where they are easy to follow, and it is one of the few places where all of the Big Five can be found. From about July to October the great migration of grazing herds arrives from the Serengeti in Tanzania, and the crossings of the Mara River put crocodiles and hippos in the spotlight. Amboseli is famous for large elephant families walking against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro, while Tsavo, the largest protected area in the country, is known for elephants stained red by its dusty soil. The 2021 census counted more than 36,000 elephants nationwide.
Rhinos are rarer and better guarded. Kenya holds about 1,700 of them, and the surest places to see them are fenced sanctuaries such as Lake Nakuru, Ol Pejeta and Nairobi National Park. Giraffes are common across the savannas, with different forms in the south and in the dry north around Samburu, and herds of buffalo graze in nearly every major park. Early mornings and late afternoons in the dry months, from June to October and again in January and February, give the best chance of seeing them all.
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Kenya has about 36,000 savanna elephants, according to its first national wildlife census in 2021, more than double the low point of the late 1980s. Tsavo holds the largest population, and Amboseli is famous for big tuskers with Kilimanjaro behind them and for the world's longest running elephant study, started in 1972. The Maasai Mara, Laikipia and Samburu are also excellent places to see elephants. IUCN status: Endangered.
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Kenya's 2021 national wildlife census counted 41,659 buffalo, with large herds found across the Maasai Mara, Tsavo, and Laikipia ecosystems. Buffaloes play a key role in shaping grassland habitats through grazing. In Kenya, they are a major draw for wildlife tourism and form an important prey base for lions. Disease management, particularly regarding bovine tuberculosis near livestock zones, remains an ongoing conservation challenge. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Kenya is one of the best places in the world to see wild cheetahs. The Maasai Mara, with its open grasslands and Thomson's gazelles, is famous for them, and cheetahs also live in Tsavo, Amboseli, Laikipia and Samburu, much of it on community conservancies. Together with Tanzania, this landscape holds about 1,360 adults. Northern Kenya is also hit by cub trafficking toward the Gulf. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
Kenya has a single sable population, in the Shimba Hills National Reserve near Mombasa, a mix of coastal forest and grassland. About 100 animals live there, and they were the main reason the reserve's grasslands were protected. Isolated from any other herd, they depend on careful management of the reserve and its grasslands, the open habitat they need to graze between patches of forest. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Kenya is the only country with three kinds of giraffe: the reticulated giraffe of the north, in Samburu and the Laikipia ranches, the Masai giraffe of the south, in the Maasai Mara and Amboseli, and Rothschild's giraffe, a Nubian giraffe, at Lake Nakuru and Ruma. In Garissa, poachers killed a rare white mother and calf in 2020, leaving one white male. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
In Kenya, greater kudus survive in a few scattered pockets, mostly in the north and the Rift Valley. The woodland at the southern end of Lake Bogoria and the forested slopes of Marsabit, home to about 800 kudus, are the best places to look. Drought, habitat loss and hunting have reduced them, so sightings are prized. Males carry long spiral horns and are most active at dawn and dusk. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Kenya has well known hippo populations in the Mara River, Lake Naivasha, Lake Victoria, the Tana River and the Mzima Springs of Tsavo West. The Mara River hippos, where they crowd into pools during the dry season, are studied for the way their dung feeds the river. Around Lake Naivasha, where farms reach the shore, hippos and fishermen often meet at night. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Spotted hyenas are among the most common large carnivores in Kenya, from the Maasai Mara and Amboseli to Tsavo and Laikipia. In the Mara, clans follow the wildebeest migration and often clash with lions over kills, and researchers have studied hyenas there for decades. Their whooping calls are part of every night on safari. Outside the parks, conflict with livestock herders is a serious threat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Kenya is home to the common impala, sometimes called the Kenyan impala, found in the center and south of the country. Herds are easy to see in the Maasai Mara and around Lake Nakuru, often next to Thomson's gazelles, which are smaller and have a dark stripe along the side. Here males can hold territories for much of the year, and lions, leopards and cheetahs hunt impalas regularly. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black backed Jackal
Lupulella mesomelas
In Kenya, the black backed jackal is a familiar sight on the open grasslands of the Masai Mara and the arid scrublands of Tsavo and Laikipia. It often follows large predators such as lions and cheetahs to scavenge leftover kills. Its IUCN status is Least Concern. Kenyan populations belong to the East African range, which is geographically separate from the southern African population. Pairs are fiercely territorial and highly vocal at night.
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Kenya is one of the best places in the world to see leopards, especially in the Maasai Mara, where guides and filmmakers have followed individual leopards for generations, and in Samburu, Tsavo and Lake Nakuru. In 2019, camera traps in Laikipia confirmed black leopards there, the first confirmed in Africa in nearly a century. Conflict with livestock owners is the main threat outside the parks. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Lion
Panthera leo
Kenya counted 2,512 lions in its 2025 national wildlife census. The Maasai Mara holds the best known prides, studied and filmed for decades, while Tsavo is famous for its maneless males and the man eaters of 1898. Amboseli, Samburu and Laikipia also have lions, and Lion Guardians programs pay young Maasai men to protect lions instead of killing them after livestock losses. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Oryx
Oryx gazella and Oryx beisa (genus Oryx)
Kenya has both forms of the beisa oryx. The common beisa lives in the dry north, in Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba, while the fringe eared oryx, with black tufts on its ears, lives in the south, in Tsavo and nearby ranches. Both graze coarse grass and browse sparse shrubs. Hunting and competition with livestock have reduced their numbers, and community conservancies now help protect them. IUCN status: Endangered (beisa oryx).
Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Kenya has large numbers of common warthogs across the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo and Nairobi National Park. They are a common sight trotting across the plains with their tails raised, or kneeling to graze near waterholes. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and hyenas all prey on them. In the dry north the similar desert warthog also lives, a separate species. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
Kenya's African wild dogs live mainly in the Samburu, Laikipia and Isiolo landscape, with smaller groups in the south. The 2025 national wildlife census counted about 310 adults in 38 packs, down from 645 in 2021, a drop blamed mostly on canine distemper caught from domestic dogs. Conflict with herders, snares and road traffic add to the pressure. Wild dogs here share the plains with lions, cheetahs and hyenas. IUCN status: Endangered.
Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Kenya's Maasai Mara is the northern end of the Great Migration. From about July to October the herds arrive from Tanzania and cross the Mara River, where crocodiles wait and about 6,250 wildebeest drown each year. Kenya's own migrations are in trouble: the Athi Kaputiei herd near Nairobi fell by about 95 percent from 1977 to 2014, and the Mara Loita migration by about 81 percent. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Zebra
Equus quagga
Kenya is home to two of Africa's three zebra species. Plains zebras are the most abundant, ranging from the Maasai Mara to Tsavo and moving with the wildebeest during the great migration. Grévy's zebra, the largest wild member of the horse family and an endangered species, survives in the drier north around Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Laikipia, where Kenya holds most of the world's population, around 3,000 animals.
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
Kenya is the stronghold of the eastern black rhino, with about 1,000 animals and most of the subspecies' world population. They live in guarded sanctuaries and parks such as Ol Pejeta, Lewa, Nairobi National Park, Lake Nakuru and Tsavo West's Ngulia sanctuary. Numbers have more than quadrupled since the mid 1980s, and the Kenya Wildlife Service is now creating new rhino areas as sanctuaries fill up. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Pangolin
Manidae (8 species)
Temminck's ground pangolin lives in the savannas and dry bush of Kenya, including the Maasai Mara, Laikipia and the Tsavo region, but it is so shy and nocturnal that even experienced guides rarely see one. Kenya Wildlife Service and conservation groups work to stop the trade in its scales, and seized pangolins are cared for and released. The species is Vulnerable and is protected under Kenyan wildlife law. IUCN status: varies by species.
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
The dromedary camel is a desert mammal with one hump that stores fat, able to walk long distances with little water while carrying loads.
Fruit Bat
Pteropodidae
Kenya has several fruit bats. The straw colored fruit bat forms large roosts in tall trees, epauletted fruit bats are common in gardens and woodland, and the Egyptian fruit bat lives in caves such as Kitum Cave on Mount Elgon, known for its role in the study of the Marburg virus. Their nightly visits pollinate baobabs along the coast and spread the seeds of wild figs across the country. IUCN status: varies by species.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In Kenya, the caracal is distributed across savannas, dry woodlands, and scrublands, with strongholds in areas such as Laikipia, Tsavo, and the rangelands of the north. It is a versatile predator, hunting birds, hares, and small antelopes. Mostly solitary and active during twilight and at night, it can occasionally come into conflict with livestock farmers on the edges of protected areas. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Serval
Leptailurus serval
Kenya is one of the best places to see servals, in the long grass of the Masai Mara and around wetlands in the Rift Valley. The country is also famous for black servals, found in the Aberdares and on Mount Kenya, and a survey in Tsavo found that almost half of the servals seen there were black. They hunt rodents and birds with high leaps, mostly at dawn and dusk. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
The African civet ranges across Kenya's coastal forests, riverine woodlands and highland edges, from Tsavo to the Aberdare foothills. It is a regular nocturnal sighting in Samburu, the Masai Mara and Laikipia conservancies. In Kenya's diverse habitat mosaic, civets serve as important seed dispersers, moving through woodland corridors and forest margins in search of fruit, insects and small prey after dark. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
Kenya has one of the larger striped hyena populations in Africa, estimated at more than 1,000, mainly in the dry north and in the southern rangelands. In Laikipia, a genetic study found small groups made of a single female and up to three males, and in the Shompole area bones at dens showed they eat more wildlife than livestock. They are far rarer to see than the spotted hyena. Conflict with herders is a threat. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
The honey badger lives across Kenya, in savanna, dry bushland, forest edges and rocky hills, from the Maasai Mara and Tsavo to the dry north around Samburu and Marsabit. It digs up rodents, scorpions and bee larvae, hunts snakes and stands up to lions when threatened. It is mostly nocturnal and rarely seen on daytime drives, but it is known to visit camps at night looking for scraps. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In Kenya the common genet is an animal of dry country, living in the bushland and wooded savanna of places such as Laikipia, and in rocky hills across the north and east. It is not an animal of the wet highland forests. Nocturnal and agile, it hunts rodents, birds, reptiles and insects, and it is often seen on night drives, where its white tail tip and black back crest give it away. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Kenya is home to Coke's hartebeest, or kongoni, which grazes the plains of the Maasai Mara, Tsavo and Amboseli. Its numbers in the Mara fell by more than 70 percent over three decades of monitoring. In Laikipia lives Jackson's hartebeest, a cross between Coke's and the Endangered Lelwel hartebeest, with about 700 to 1,000 on Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Lions are their main predator. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Topi
Damaliscus lunatus
Kenya has two kinds of topi. The best known live in the Maasai Mara, where males stand on termite mounds and gather on mating grounds, and where a 2010 study found they give fake alarm snorts to stop females from leaving. Their numbers in the Mara region have fallen sharply since the 1970s. The rare coastal topi of the Tana River delta is Endangered. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
Kenya's bushbucks live in forests and thickets from the coast to the highlands. The dark mountain form is seen in the Aberdares and on Mount Kenya, often near forest lodges at night, and others live along rivers in the savanna parks. They feed on leaves, shoots and fallen fruit, and males bark loudly when alarmed. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Thomson's Gazelle
Eudorcas thomsonii
Thomson's gazelle is one of the most common sights on Kenya's open plains, from the Maasai Mara to Amboseli, Nairobi National Park and Laikipia. Locals and guides call it the tommy. It grazes in herds next to wildebeest and zebras and is a favorite prey of cheetahs, which it escapes with zigzag runs of about 80 km/h. Outside parks, farms, fences and growing livestock herds keep pushing it back. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum
Kenya's white rhinos are southern white rhinos brought from South Africa, since the species is not native to the country. They graze at Lake Nakuru, Ol Pejeta, Solio and other guarded sanctuaries, often next to black rhinos. Ol Pejeta also keeps Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, under armed guard while scientists try to save their subspecies with embryos. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
In Kenya, the aardvark lives in the savannas and grasslands of much of the country, from the Masai Mara to the ranches of Laikipia, where night drives give some of the best chances in East Africa to see one. It digs into termite mounds at night, and its burrows are used by warthogs, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Lions, leopards and spotted hyenas hunt it, and it is very rarely seen by day. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dik Dik
Madoqua kirkii
Kirk's dik dik is one of the most common small antelopes in Kenya's dry bush, from Samburu to Tsavo and the edges of the Maasai Mara. Pairs hide in acacia and commiphora thickets and often freeze beside the track as safari vehicles pass, trusting their gray brown coat to keep them hidden. In Tsavo East it is a main prey of the tawny eagle, and leopards, caracals and jackals hunt it too. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis
Kenya is one of the best places in Africa to watch olive baboons. Troops are part of almost every safari in the Masai Mara, Nairobi National Park and around Lake Nakuru. Kenya is also where some of the longest studies of baboons have taken place: Shirley Strum has followed olive baboons there since 1972, starting near Gilgil. In the south, olive baboons meet and interbreed with yellow baboons. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Kenya's coast is important for green turtles, which nest on beaches from Watamu and Malindi to the Lamu Archipelago and graze in the seagrass meadows of the coastal lagoons and marine parks. Local Ocean Conservation in Watamu runs a well known rescue program that buys turtles accidentally caught by fishermen and releases them. Bycatch, poaching and coastal development are the main threats here. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
Kenya's Nile crocodiles are among the most famous in Africa. Between July and October they wait at the Mara River crossings in the Maasai Mara as wildebeest and zebras cross during the Great Migration. Lake Turkana holds one of the largest populations on the continent, with a major nesting area on Central Island, and crocodiles also live in the Tana and Galana rivers and at Mzima Springs. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
Kenya's black mambas live in the dry savannas, bush and rocky hillsides of the Rift Valley, Tsavo, the coast and other semi arid regions, and have been recorded as high as 1,800 meters, the highest known for the species. It is an agile daytime hunter of birds and rodents, and its inky black mouth, shown as a warning, gives it its name. Kenyan snake rescuers move many mambas away from farms and homes. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
The puff adder lives across most of Kenya, from the coast and Tsavo to the Maasai Mara and the dry north, where the Somali puff adder, a subspecies, also occurs. East African puff adders grow especially large, and the record litter of 156 young came from a Kenyan female. One female in Malindi was once followed by seven males. With the black mamba, it causes some of the most serious bites in the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Kenya is one of the strongholds for the bateleur in East Africa, where it is regularly seen soaring over the savannas of the Maasai Mara, Tsavo, and Samburu ecosystems. It covers enormous distances daily in search of carrion and prey across open bush country. Despite its visibility in protected areas, populations have declined due to poisoning, power line collisions, and habitat loss. The IUCN classifies it as Endangered.
Grey Crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum
Kenya is one of the strongholds of the East African crowned crane, found in the wetlands and farmland of the western highlands, around Lake Victoria, in the Rift Valley and in the central highlands. It is a familiar sight walking through fields and pastures. Even so, its numbers in Kenya have fallen sharply in recent decades as wetlands are drained for farming, and community groups now protect nesting marshes. IUCN status: Endangered.
Ostrich
Struthio camelus
Kenya is home to the Masai ostrich, found across the open savannas and grasslands of the south, including Tsavo and the Maasai Mara. Standing nearly 2.75 meters tall, it is the world's largest bird and fastest on land, reaching 70 kilometers per hour. It feeds on grasses, seeds, and insects, and its eggs, the largest of any living bird, are shared between a dominant pair.
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Kenya's open savannas, including the Rift Valley and the plains of the south, are important wintering grounds for the steppe eagle, which arrives from Central Asia between October and March. Birds gather at termite emergences after the rains, at rubbish dumps and at carcasses with vultures, and young eagles with their white wing bands are a common sight on safari. Kenya lies on the main East African flyway. IUCN status: Endangered.
White backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Kenya is one of the most important strongholds for the white backed vulture in East Africa. The Maasai Mara and Tsavo ecosystems support large populations that follow the movements of wildebeest and other herbivores. Poisoning by farmers protecting livestock remains the greatest threat. Conservation programs working with local Maasai communities have made real progress in reducing retaliatory killings of this Critically Endangered species.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
In Kenya, the lanner falcon is widespread across open savanna, dry scrubland, and rocky hillsides, from the Rift Valley to the northern arid zones. It is a year round resident and one of the more frequently seen falcons in the country. Pairs hunt together to flush and catch birds such as doves and sandgrouse. It nests on cliff ledges and is not currently considered threatened in Kenya. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Grey Parrot
Psittacus erithacus
Kenya represents the easternmost limit of the African grey parrot's range on the African mainland, with birds recorded in the forests around Lake Victoria in the west of the country, particularly in the Kakamega Forest area. Kakamega is Kenya's only remaining tropical rainforest and a biodiversity hotspot connecting to the broader Congo forest biome. The population in Kenya is small and represents an isolated extension of the Ugandan and Congolese populations. Habitat loss and trapping have been documented here, and the species' foothold in Kenya depends entirely on the protection of Kakamega and surrounding forest fragments.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Kenya is one of the strongholds of the tawny eagle in East Africa. It is regularly seen across the savannas of the Maasai Mara, Tsavo and Samburu, often perched on termite mounds or bare trees. In Tsavo East, its main prey is the tiny Kirk's dik dik. In the Mara, its numbers have held up better than in many other places, and it often steals food from other raptors and vultures. It nests in thorny trees. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
Kenya is one of the best places to observe the secretary bird, with birds seen regularly in the Maasai Mara, on the Laikipia Plateau and other open grasslands, though counts have fallen steeply. Pairs nest on flat topped acacia trees and return to the same site each breeding season. Kenya's network of national parks and conservancies provides important protection for the species, though grassland conversion outside protected areas remains a concern. The IUCN lists the secretary bird as Endangered.
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
The African fish eagle is one of the most familiar birds in Kenya, its ringing call an iconic sound along the shores of Lake Victoria, Lake Naivasha, Lake Baringo and the country's rivers. It swoops low over the water and plucks fish near the surface with its talons. At the soda lakes of Bogoria and Nakuru, where fish are scarce, it hunts flamingos instead. It is often seen perched on dead trees above open water. Pairs hold the same stretch of shore for years. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Kenya lies at the southern end of the saker falcon's winter range. Birds that breed in Eastern Europe and western Asia fly down through the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to spend the northern winter here, mostly in open savannas and dry grasslands of the north and the Rift Valley, where they hunt birds and small mammals. It does not breed in Kenya. The IUCN lists the saker falcon as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is widespread across Kenya in open farmland, savanna edges, village areas and the outskirts of towns and cities. It nests in old buildings, roof cavities, cliff faces and hollow trees, and hunts rodents at night using its exceptional hearing. In agricultural areas it plays an important role in controlling rat and mouse populations. It is found from the coast to the highlands and is one of the most commonly encountered owls in Kenya, often seen in headlights along rural roads after dark.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Kenya lies on the eastern flyway of the white stork, and large flocks pass through each autumn and spring on their way between Europe and the wintering grounds farther south. They stop on open savannas, cultivated plains, and grasslands of the Rift Valley, especially where locusts and grasshoppers are abundant, and some birds linger for weeks before moving on. The species does not breed in Kenya. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
In Kenya, the white wagtail is a winter visitor from the northern hemisphere, arriving between October and April. It favors open habitats near water, including the shores of Lake Naivasha, Lake Turkana and the rivers of the Rift Valley. It is typically seen running swiftly across open ground or along water margins in pursuit of insects. Kenya forms part of the bird's extensive wintering range across sub Saharan Africa. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
In Kenya, the peregrine falcon is present mainly as a visitor during the northern winter, though some resident pairs breed on cliff faces in highland areas such as the Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya. Open savanna, rift valley escarpments, and coastal zones also attract migrating birds. Kenya's diversity of landscapes makes it a country where this falcon can be encountered in very different settings. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Kenya forms part of the nightingale's East African wintering range. Birds arrive from breeding grounds in eastern Europe, the Middle East and central Asia and are recorded mainly in areas of dry scrub, thicket and woodland, often in the east and north of the country. Like other wintering migrants, the nightingale stays quiet and secretive during its stay, making it a challenge to find even for experienced birdwatchers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
Kenya's Rift Valley lakes are among the most iconic flamingo habitats on Earth. Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria, both highly alkaline, once hosted millions of lesser flamingos feeding on vast blooms of cyanobacteria. Fluctuating water levels and environmental changes have shifted some populations between lakes over the years. The lesser flamingo is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, making Kenya's Rift Valley lakes especially important to the survival of the species over the long term.
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Humpbacks pass along the coast of Kenya every year between about July and October, on their way to and from breeding grounds in East Africa. Watamu, in the Malindi Watamu marine reserve, is the main place to see them, with the best chances from July to September, and the Kisite Mpunguti marine park in the south is another option. These whales feed in the waters around Antarctica in summer. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
In Kenya whale sharks are seen along the south coast, around Diani and the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park near the border with Tanzania, and in the north off Watamu and Malindi. Sightings are most common during the northeast monsoon, roughly from November to March, when the sea is calm and rich in plankton. Researchers and local dive centers photograph the sharks to identify them, and some are later seen in Tanzania. IUCN status: Endangered.
Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
In Kenya the great barracuda lives on the coral reefs and lagoons of the coast, from the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park near Tanzania to the marine parks of Watamu and Malindi in the north. Divers and snorkelers see it at the reef edge, and juveniles grow up in the mangroves of creeks such as Mida Creek. It is also caught by sport anglers off Malindi and Watamu and by local fishers along the coast. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Tiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
In Kenya the tiger shark lives along the Indian Ocean coast, from the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park to Watamu and Malindi, where it hunts fish, rays, sea turtles and even seabirds close to shore at night. It also hunts sea turtles near their nesting beaches on the coast. Sharks are caught by artisanal fishers along much of the coast, and their numbers are thought to have declined. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Reef Shark
Several species (Carcharhinus melanopterus, C. perezi, C. amblyrhynchos, Triaenodon obesus)
In Kenya reef sharks live on the coral reefs of the coast, from the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park near Tanzania to the marine parks of Watamu and Malindi. Whitetip reef sharks rest on the reefs and blacktip reef sharks cruise the shallow lagoons. Heavy fishing along the coast has made them scarce outside protected areas, where divers have the best chance of seeing them. IUCN status: Vulnerable to Endangered, depending on species.
Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
In Kenya the bull shark lives along the Indian Ocean coast and enters the mouths of rivers such as the Tana, the country's longest river, and the Sabaki near Malindi, where young sharks find brackish water. Adults hunt in the shallow, murky waters of creeks and bays. Bull sharks are caught by artisanal fishers along the coast, and their numbers in East Africa are thought to have fallen. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Kenya?
Kenya is home to all of the Big Five, lions, leopards, African elephants, buffalo and both black and white rhinos, along with cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, impalas, Thomson's gazelles and oryx. Nile crocodiles live in its rivers and lakes and the black mamba in its bush. Birds range from ostriches and secretary birds to grey crowned cranes and flamingos, and the coast has sea turtles, whale sharks and humpback whales.
What is the national animal of Kenya?
The lion is the animal most closely linked to Kenya, although no law names it as the national animal. Two lions holding spears support the Kenyan coat of arms, adopted at independence in 1963, a lion is shown on the 10 shilling coin, and the national rugby team plays as the Simbas, Swahili for lions. Kenya counted 2,589 lions in its 2021 wildlife census.
What animals can you see in the Maasai Mara?
The Maasai Mara is best known for lions, leopards and cheetahs, which hunt across its open grasslands, and for the great migration of wildebeest and zebras that arrives from the Serengeti from about July to October. Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, topi, hartebeest, spotted hyenas and warthogs are common, hippos and Nile crocodiles crowd the Mara River, and a small number of black rhinos live there too.
What are the Big Five in Kenya?
The Big Five are the lion, the leopard, the African elephant, the buffalo and the rhinoceros. The name comes from old hunting days, when these were considered the hardest and most dangerous animals to hunt on foot, and today it is used for wildlife watching. In Kenya, both black and white rhinos count. The Maasai Mara and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy are among the places where all five can be seen.
Which national parks in Kenya are best for wildlife?
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is the most visited, for its big cats and the yearly migration. Amboseli is known for elephants with Kilimanjaro behind them, Tsavo East and Tsavo West are the largest parks in the country, Samburu shelters animals of the dry north, and Lake Nakuru combines rhinos with flamingos. Nairobi National Park sits on the edge of the capital, and marine parks such as Watamu protect sea turtles and coral reefs.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .