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Karura Forest

Nairobi, Italy

Karura Forest

Karura Forest is an urban forest in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It is the second largest urban forest in the world after the Tijuca Forest in Rio de Janeiro located in Brazil. The forest was gazetted in 1932 and is managed by the Kenya Forest Service in conjunction with the Friends of Karura Fore

st Community Forest Association. Karura Forest is 1,041 hectares (2,570 acres) consisting of three parts separated by Limuru and Kiambu roads. The large middle portion is ca. 710 hectares (1,800 acres); the Sigiria salient to the west is ca. 250 hectares (620 acres). The portion to the east of Kiambu road has been allocated to special national priorities. As of mid-2016, 36% of the forest contains indigenous upland forest tree species. The forest is home to some 200 species of bird as well as suni, Harveys Duiker, bushbucks, bush pigs, genets, civets, honey badgers, bush babies, porcupines, Syke's monkeys, bush squirrels, hares, fruit bats, and various reptiles and butterflies. Karura now has over 50 km of trails for visitors to walk, run or bike. Due to its proximity to a growing city, there have been plans to reduce the forest in favour of housing and other development. However, these plans...

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