Arabuko Sokoke, located in Kilifi County on Kenya’s coast, is the largest remaining section of East African coastal forest, covering approximately 420 square kilometers. This ancient forest is recognized globally as a critical biodiversity hotspot, offering refuge to unique and endangered species found nowhere else on earth. The reserve is home to endemic bird species such as the Clarke’s weaver, Sokoke scops owl, and East Coast akalat, making it a premier destination for birdwatchers from around the world. Its dense thickets and open forest glades also shelter rare mammals including the golden-rumped elephant shrew—Africa’s most endangered shrew—and other elusive species like the Ader’s duiker and bushy-tailed mongoose. Visitors can explore the forest through guided walking trails, bicycle routes, and designated birdwatching sites, experiencing the transition from forest to the adjacent Watamu Marine Park, where mangroves, coral reefs, and beaches offer a remarkable contrast of ecosystems in a single trip. Arabuko Sokoke is also a center of conservation innovation, with programs integrating local communities in forest protection, eco-tourism initiatives, and sustainable livelihood projects, ensuring that biodiversity preservation goes hand in hand with socio-economic benefits for surrounding villages. With its combination of coastal wilderness, endemic species, and conservation success stories, Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve stands as one of Kenya’s most important ecological treasures.
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