Shimba Hills National Reserve

Shimba Hills National Reserve is a small national park situated 33 km south of Mombasa and 15 km inland, in Kenya's Coast Province.

Containing coastal rainforest, woodland and grassland, the reserve is an important stronghold of plant biodiversity. More than half of Kenya's 159 species of rare plants are found in the Shimba Hills, including some endangered species of cycad and orchid. The reserve is also an important site for birds and butterflies.

About 700 elephants live in the reserve, a population that is unsustainably large. The Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary has been established north of Shimba Hills to provide a route for elephants to leave Shimba. The remainder of the Shimba Hills National Reserve's boundary is fenced, to prevent the elephants from invading surrounding farmland.

With about 100 animals, Shimba Hills National Reserve also contains Kenya's only population of Sable antelope.