Aberdare National Park
🇰🇪 Kenya
🦌 Northern Bushbuck Thrives in AberdareAberdare National Park is a high-altitude tropical rainforest reserve situated in the central highlands of Kenya. Its dense canopy, deep ravines, and moss-draped trees create a dramatic mountain habitat distinct from the open savannahs found elsewhere in the region. Visitors traverse winding forest tracks enveloped in cool mist and towering timber.
-0.221° S 36.588° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Northern Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
★ 
Giant Forest Hog
Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
★ 
Mantled Guereza
Colobus guereza
★ 
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
📊 Most Spotted
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Streaky Seedeater
Crithagra striolata
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Hunter's Cisticola
Cisticola hunteri
Baglafecht Weaver
Ploceus baglafecht
Abyssinian Thrush
Turdus abyssinicus
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Dioptrornis fischeri
Blue Monkey
Cercopithecus mitis
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Northern Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
★ Giant Forest Hog
Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
★ Mantled Guereza
Colobus guereza
★ African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
📊 Most Spotted
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Blue Monkey
Cercopithecus mitis
Bush Duiker
Sylvicapra grimmia
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis
Suni
Neotragus moschatus
East African Giraffe
Giraffa tippelskirchi
Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
📊 Most Spotted
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Streaky Seedeater
Crithagra striolata
Hunter's Cisticola
Cisticola hunteri
Baglafecht Weaver
Ploceus baglafecht
Abyssinian Thrush
Turdus abyssinicus
Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Dioptrornis fischeri
Black Sawwing
Psalidoprocne pristoptera
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird
Cinnyris mediocris
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
📊 Most Spotted
Helmeted Chameleon
Trioceros hoehnelii
Aberdare Mountains Dwarf Chameleon
Trioceros kinangopensis
Kenya Montane Viper
Montatheris hindii
Western Alpine Meadow Lizard
Adolfus masavaensis
African Spurred Tortoise
Centrochelys sulcata
Red-lipped Snake
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
African Striped Skink
Trachylepis striata
Recent sightings in Aberdare National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Hartlaub's Turaco Breeding Season
Hartlaub's Turacos become highly vocal and active during breeding, creating a symphony of calls in the forest canopy.
2African Buffalo Rut and Calving
Buffalo herds engage in dramatic rutting behaviors, while calving peaks, attracting predators like lions and hyenas.
3Aberdare Cisticola Breeding Surge
The park’s namesake bird, the Aberdare Cisticola, becomes hyperactive, with males performing aerial displays to attract mates.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Hartlaub's Turaco Breeding Season
- 2African Buffalo Rut and Calving
- 3Aberdare Cisticola Breeding Surge
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Later that night, we saw hyenas, deer, warthogs, mongoose and a wild cat.
Along the way, we encountered a diverse array of wildlife: elephants lumbering through the forest, graceful antelopes grazing in the meadows, and even a rare glimpse of the elusive bongo, a shy antelope species that calls the Aberdares home.
From the deck of the Ark Lodge, I watched as elephants gathered at a nearby waterhole, their majestic forms silhouetted against the rising sun.
We saw an elephant on a faraway hill, a cape buffalo, and a large pig which turned out to be "Meinertzhagen's" Giant Forest Hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni!
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Aberdare National Park?
The most likely sightings are Northern Bushbuck (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Giant Forest Hog (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), African Buffalo (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Common Bulbul (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Streaky Seedeater (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1302 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Aberdare National Park for wildlife?
July has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Northern Bushbuck in Aberdare National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Bushbuck sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 73 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Giant Forest Hog in Aberdare National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Forest Hog sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mantled Guereza in Aberdare National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Mantled Guereza sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see African Bush Elephant in Aberdare National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
