Wilderness >> Tsavo East and West

Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park covers an area of about 12,000 km2, 40% of Kenya's parks' total area. This vast park lies in low semi arid country at the eastern edge of the inland plateau, north of the main Mombasa-Nairobi road and railway. Much of the park is level, open country with scattered rocky ridges and outcrops. Due to its size, the park is one of the world's wildlife and biodiversity strongholds. Only a small area of this vast nature reserve (larger by far than Tsavo West National Park) is open to the public. Although some new areas for human intrusion been added.

Within Tsavo East, one of the largest lava flows in the world, the Yatta Plateau, is to be found, runs along the western boundary of the park. Another attraction is the River Athi which near the Manyani Gate forms the Lugard Falls, along stretch of rippling whitewater cataracts and a favorite haunt for sunbathing crocodiles. The falls gush through a small fissure, narrow enough for the fool-hardy to leap across, before dropping to the crocodile point below where the river changes its name to the Galana. The seasonal Tiva and Voi rivers are important features. There are scattered seasonal pools, swamps and dams, but relatively few sources of permanent water.

This wilderness however, is inhabited by a wide range of plains' game. These include zebra, several species of antelope among them lesser kudu and hartebeest, warthog and ostrich as well as elephant herds that plunder their way through bush and scrub to the permanent waters of the Athi.

Though the vegetation can generally be categorised as bushed grassland, the park has open plains alternating with savanna bush and semi-arid acacia scrub and woodlands. There are also belts of riverine vegetation. The vegetation is generally denser in the west where rainfall is around 450mm per year than in the drier east, which may receive only around 250mm

Tsavo West national

Tsavo West national park covers 9000 km2, approximately 30% of Kenya's area under parks, and contains a diversity of habitats, wildlife and a mountainous scenic landscape. The park is a vast expanse of savanna stretching from the Athi River, North of the Mombasa-Nairobi road and south to the Tanzanian border. The North Eastern boundary along the Athi adjoins Tsavo East National Park, but Tsavo West has a more varied topography and a more diverse array of habitats than its neighbour.

With the park's great diversity of plants and animals coupled with its well maintained all weather roads, it has become a model national park. The superb signposting leads visitors from one natural wonder to the other. One of these marvels is Mzima Springs which is replenished with over 220 million liters of crystal-clear water everyday from the underground streams originating from the Chyulu Hills, 40-50kms away.
Mzima acts as an attraction to many animals and especially elephants that love spending their time here soak half emerged in the water. Other water loving animals like hippo and crocodile are not an uncommon sight. Giraffe, gazelles and zebra can be seen wondering around the banks through the raffia palms and thick acacia together with hundreds of chattering monkeys and birds.

There are well marked nature trails, an observation platform and an underwater glass tank which provides a special vantage point to view this remarkable oasis. Not far from here lies Ngulia escarpment at the foot of the Ngulia Hills which rises to 1825 m. Each year from late September to November, Ngulia has become the base of a unique phenomenon. Attracted by the lights of Ngulia Lodge, thousand of migrant birds descend through the mists, which are prevalent at this time of year, only to be netted, ringed and then released. This phenomenon has become one of the bird wonders of the world. Reports about ringed birds have been received from as far off places as Oman, Malawi, Iran and Germany.

Besides the gigantic elephants, other animals such as lions, some undoubtedly direct descendants of the man-eaters of Tsavo, can be seen roaming around in this national park. Among the not so common animals to be found here are fringed-eared oryx, the gerenuk and the lesser kudu. The carnivores found here include serval, hyena, leopard, cheetah and caracal. The landscape is filled with giant baobab tree and which are reputed to live a thousand years.