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The biodiversity of northern coastal Kenya, east of the Tana River, is poorlyunderstood because security problems and poor infrastructure have discouraged accessto the area. However, the wooded areas in the region have great potential forharbouring endemic and rare species, including sengis or elephant-shrews (orderMacroscelidea), especially giant sengis in the genus Rhynchocyon. Based on extensivecamera-trap surveys of the Boni-Dodori forest, east of the Tana River near theSomalia border, and the Arabuko-Sokoke forest west of the Tana River, the goldenrumpedsengi Rhynchocyon chrysopygus appears to be limited to the Arabuko-Sokokearea, while the giant sengi in the Boni-Dodori forest is different. The Boni-Dodoriforest, the largest Kenyan coastal forest, with a potential forest and thicket area of atleast 3000 km2 is likely to hold a significant number of Rhynchocyon, making it veryimportant to sengi conservation. The study generated over 2700 images of giant sengiand 32 000 camera-trap images of soft-furred sengi in a total surveyed area ofapproximately 300 km2 providing the first detailed 24-hour behaviour data for thespecies. The circadian patterns have confirmed R. chrysopygus and Boni Rhynchocyonto be strictly diurnal while the soft-furred sengi were mostly nocturnal. Occupancy forRhynchocyon was over 80 percent for both the Boni forest thicket and Arabuko-Sokoke Cynometra forest thicket. Occupancy and trapping rates for the soft-furred sengi were significantly higher for the Arabuko-Sokoke forest than the Boni-Dodori forest. It was not possible in the camera trap images to reliably differentiate between the two soft-furred sengi species, four-toed sengi Petrodromus tetradactylus and rufous sengi Elephantulus rufescens, known to occur in the area.Keywords: Macroscelidea, elephant-shrew, Rhynchocyon, abundance, distribution,activity pattern

The Sokoke dog or bushy-tailed mongoose Bdeogale omnivora is poorly known and considered to be endemic to the East African coastal forests. Systematic camera trap surveys, comprising 9229 camera trap days on grids at six study sites, were used to determine the distribution and relative abundance of the Sokoke bushy-tailed mongoose in the two largest Kenyan coastal forests: Boni-Dodori Forest Complex (ca. 4000 km²); and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve (416 km²). This species was captured in all surveyed forests with significantly more detections in Brachystegia woodland habitat ( ca . 71 km 2 ) of Arabuko-Sokoke and the Boni forest sectors (ca. 2000 km 2 ) of the Boni-Dodori Forest Complex. Boni-Dodori Forest Complex, with an estimated occupancy of over 60% for this species, holds a significant population. The study generated over 1000 images of the Sokoke bushy-tailed mongoose in a total surveyed area of approximately 500 km 2 providing the first 24-hour activity data for the species. The circadian patterns confirm this species to be strictly nocturnal. This study strongly recommends that its Red List status remains ‘Vulnerable’. The few remaining coastal forests continue to face human pressure. Recent proposals to find and extract hydrocarbons from under the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, and the planned major development close to Boni-Dodori Forest Complex, raise serious conservation concerns for this exceptionally biodiverse ecosystem. Keywords: Arabuko-Sokoke forest, Boni forest, Dodori forest, camera trap, status, Bdeogale omnivora