Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East Overview

Tsavo East National Park, renowned for its vast landscapes and rich biodiversity, is one of Kenya’s oldest and largest national parks. Established in 1948, the park stretches over approximately 13,747 square kilometers (5,308 square miles), making it a major conservation area in the eastern part of Kenya. It is located midway between Nairobi and Mombasa, offering convenient access for visitors traveling along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway or by air, with several airstrips servicing the park.

Characterized by its open savannahs, scrublands, and the Galana River, which meanders through the park, Tsavo East presents a quintessentially African landscape. The park’s semi-arid environment is dominated by the Yatta Plateau, the world’s longest lava flow, and is dotted with baobab and acacia trees, creating a scenic backdrop for wildlife viewing.

Tsavo East is famed for its large herds of elephants that roam the red-dust plains, their skin often taking on a reddish hue from the soil. Besides elephants, the park is home to a plethora of wildlife, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalos, rhinos, and a variety of antelope species, offering a rich safari experience. The park also hosts over 500 bird species, making it a haven for bird watchers.

One of the park’s iconic features is the Lugard Falls, where the Galana River narrows into a ravine. Other attractions include the Mudanda Rock, which overlooks a natural dam and serves as an excellent vantage point for wildlife viewing, especially during the dry season when animals gather at the waterhole.

Tsavo East’s expansive and relatively undeveloped wilderness offers visitors an authentic safari experience. The park’s accessibility, combined with its vast open spaces and diversity of wildlife, makes it a popular destination for those seeking to experience the beauty and serenity of the Kenyan savannah. Its historical significance, including stories of the man-eating lions of Tsavo, adds an intriguing element to the park’s allure, making it a must-visit location for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike.

Park Map

Tsavo East National Park Highlights

Wildlife

Birds

Tsavo East National Park, with its diverse ecosystems ranging from open savannas to dense woodlands and riparian areas, offers an ideal habitat for an extensive variety of bird species. This avian paradise is a magnet for birdwatchers, who come to marvel at both the endemic and migratory species that make the park their home or stopping point throughout the year.

African Fish Eagle – With its haunting cry, the African Fish Eagle is often seen perched majestically near water, symbolizing the wild spirit of Africa.

Lilac-breasted Roller – The breathtakingly colorful Lilac-breasted Roller is a photographer’s delight, displaying an array of vibrant hues as it takes flight.

Crowned Crane – Elegant and regal, the Crowned Crane is notable for its distinctive plumage and courtship dance, adding a touch of grace to the Tsavo landscape.

Kori Bustard – As one of the heaviest flying birds, the Kori Bustard is a ground dweller, known for its cryptic plumage and impressive size.

Yellow-billed Stork – Wading through the shallows, the Yellow-billed Stork is a striking presence, using its long bill to skillfully catch fish and amphibians.

Red-and-Yellow Barbet – This colorful barbet is easily recognizable by its vibrant red and yellow feathers, often heard before seen, calling from the acacia trees.

Vulturine Guineafowl – The striking Vulturine Guineafowl, with its bright blue plumage and long, trailing feathers, moves in large flocks across the Tsavo plains.

Superb Starling – Iridescent and vocal, the Superb Starling’s glossy blue-green plumage and bold character make it a familiar sight around campsites and lodges.

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl – The largest African owl, distinguished by its pink eyelids, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl is a formidable nocturnal predator, hunting from its perch in large trees.

Somali Ostrich – Distinguished from its common counterpart by its blue legs, the Somali Ostrich is adapted to the arid environment of Tsavo, adding to the park’s unique biodiversity.

These bird species represent just a glimpse of the avian diversity found in Tsavo East National Park, each contributing to the rich tapestry of life that thrives in this iconic Kenyan wilderness.

Predators

Tsavo East National Park, one of Kenya’s oldest and largest parks, is renowned for its vast landscapes and as a stronghold for some of Africa’s most iconic predators. The rugged wilderness here provides a dramatic setting for the complex interplay of predator and prey, making it a compelling destination for wildlife enthusiasts.

Lion – The park’s lions, famous for the maneless males, are apex predators, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem by controlling herbivore populations.

Cheetah – The fastest land animal, cheetahs in Tsavo are adapted to hunting in the sparse bushland, using their incredible speed to catch prey.

Leopard – Elusive and solitary, leopards are versatile predators that can adapt to various habitats in the park, often hunting from trees.

Spotted Hyena – More than just scavengers, spotted hyenas are skilled hunters in Tsavo, known for their complex social structures and powerful jaws.

African Wild Dog – These endangered predators are pack hunters, known for their efficiency and cooperative hunting tactics, making them one of Africa’s most successful carnivores.

Crocodile – Lurking in the rivers and waterholes, crocodiles are patient predators, capable of explosive bursts of speed to catch unsuspecting prey near the water’s edge.

African Hawk-Eagle – A powerful bird of prey, the African Hawk-Eagle soars over the park, using its keen vision to spot small mammals and birds.

Martial Eagle – The largest eagle in Africa, the martial eagle preys on large birds and mammals, showcasing incredible strength and agility in flight.

Black-Backed Jackal – Opportunistic feeders, black-backed jackals in Tsavo scavenge but also hunt small mammals and birds, exhibiting remarkable adaptability.

Serval – With their long legs and spotted coat, servals are solitary hunters, preying on rodents and birds in the park’s grasslands and wetlands.

The presence of these predators in Tsavo East National Park highlights the ecological richness and biodiversity of the area, emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts to ensure their survival.

Tsavo East National Park, sprawling across vast Kenyan landscapes, is not only a haven for formidable predators but also hosts a myriad of other wildlife species, each contributing to the park’s rich tapestry of biodiversity. Amidst its red-dust savannas, riverine forests, and rugged outcrops, these animals thrive, drawing visitors from around the globe to witness Africa’s natural beauty.

African Elephant – Tsavo is famed for its large herds of red elephants, dust-bathed in the park’s iconic red soil, symbolizing the wild African spirit.

Giraffe – The park’s giraffes, with their long necks and unique patterns, browse on the higher branches of acacia trees, a serene sight against the Tsavo backdrop.

African Buffalo – These formidable herbivores move in large herds, their strength and unity a defense against predators, embodying the raw power of the African wilderness.

Zebra – The striking black-and-white striped zebras of Tsavo are a quintessential symbol of the African savanna, often seen grazing in large herds.

Hippo – In the park’s waterholes and rivers, hippos spend most of the day submerged to keep cool, emerging at dusk to graze on land.

Impala – Graceful and agile, impalas are commonly spotted in Tsavo, their herds navigating the savanna and woodlands, always alert for predators.

Waterbuck – With their shaggy coats and distinctive white ring on the rump, waterbucks are often found near Tsavo’s water sources, as their name suggests.

Bushbuck – These shy, solitary antelopes prefer the dense underbrush of Tsavo, their elusive nature making sightings a rewarding experience for wildlife enthusiasts.

Eland – The largest of African antelopes, elands are impressive both for their size and for the males’ spiral horns, roaming Tsavo’s plains in search of grazing.

Warthog – The park’s warthogs, with their distinctive tusks and kneeling grazing posture, add a touch of whimsy to the Tsavo landscape, embodying the adaptability of nature.

These species, among many others, make Tsavo East National Park a mosaic of life, where the drama of survival and the beauty of existence play out against the backdrop of one of Kenya’s most breathtaking landscapes.