The Samburu National Reserve lies on the edge of northern Kenya's semi-arid region. The area is inhabited by the strikingly tall and slender Samburu community normally called the ‘butterfly People’ because of how they adorn themselves with colourful cosmetic jewellery beads and bright rap-rounds. Like their cousins the Maasai, the Samburu are a pastoral group often seen on the reserve boundaries herding their cattle.

Lying on the edge of northern Kenya's semi-arid regions, it is one of the two areas where the conservationists George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness made famous in the best-selling book and award-winning movie Born Free.

In the middle of the reserve is the Ewaso Nyiro river that flows from the Aberdares ending at the Lorian swamp. Doum palms dominate the riverine with thick acacia forests providing a good source of food, and the river providing water of which the game in the reserve could not survive in the arid country.

The reserve is rich in wildlife and home to the special five namely the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and the beisa oryx. Other animals found here are elephants, lion, leopard, cheetah, warthog, gazelles, waterbuck and occasional sightings of the rare wild dogs. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded here.