Sarara is a dry season refuge for several hundred elephant. Lion and leopard are resident and there are two separate groups of the endangered African wild dog. Other wildlife species interest include kudu, black and white colobus monkeys, Grevy’s zebra, striped hyena and gerenuk.
The conservation work carried out by the Namunyak Trust to date has been hugely successful. As a result of the severe ivory poaching crisis of the mid 1970s and early '80s, there were no recorded elephants remaining in the Mathews range by 1985. Today, several thousand elephant are recorded as living and breeding peacefully in the southern Mathews range area, together with a variety of other wildlife species.
Sarara Camp has six luxury tented rooms each positioned to maximize the stunning views of the Mathews Mountain Range and the watering hole. There is an outdoor bathroom offering a superb view of the hills from the shower. But there is also an indoor loo and sink at the back of the tent. Each tent has its own private terrace with table and chairs and morning coffee and tea are brought to you so that you can wake up gazing out over the mountains.
One of the highlights of the Namunyak area must be a visit to the famous ‘Sarara Singing Wells’. Samburu warriors bring their cattle to these watering holes on a daily basis during the dry season. Some of the wells are up to 10 meters deep. The warriors strip off, descend to form a human chain and chant traditional Samburu songs as they pass water up by hand for the cattle. This mind-blowing ritual goes on for several hours a day.