Plans are under way for a zipline at the Shimba Hills National Reserve in Kenya’s Coast Province, and one of the largest coastal forests in East Africa.

In a bid to boost tourism numbers, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is developing strategies to ensure that tourists experience more adventure at the reserve.

KWS Assistant Director, Arthur Tuda, said the organisation had identified the scenic Sheldrick Falls, which attracts visitors on a daily basis, as the location for the zipline, the first in the coastal region.

“There are cement steps that we have erected, and plans are afoot to have pathways for wheelchairs so that even disabled visitors can access the Sheldrick Falls. We plan to make the area around the falls more visitor friendly by putting up a restaurant so that people can spend more time at the falls while relaxing,” he said.

The zipline canopy tour will offer a bird’s-eye view of the reserve from a height of over 250 feet. As an important birding area, tourists will be able to see many of the 111 bird species in the reserve, from Red-necked Spur Fowl and Croaking Cisticola, to the Zanzibar Red Bishop.

The reserve is also home to a high density of elephants, rare Sable antelope, elephant shrew, bushy-tailed mangrove, and other small mammals such as fruit bats.

KWS is also planning to bring private investors on board, in support of the government initiative to boost tourism growth.