Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park: Overview

Tsavo East is generally flat with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau, Lugards Falls, Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam. The reserve is popular for short safaris from the Kenya coast, like Mombasa. Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks together make up the biggest national park in Kenya at just under 22 000 sq km. In May 1948, a month after the park's conception, Tsavo National Park was divided into east and west for administrative purposes. Named after the Tsavo River which flows from west to east, the park is considered one of the world's biodiversity strongholds.

Tsavo East National Park: Background Information

Tsavo East is popular for short safaris combined with a beach destination, such as Mombasa, which make it a popular destination that steers away from the crowds of the Masai Mara during peak season. Tsavo East is the ideal Kenyan destination for exclusive camping, interesting traversing circuits and adventurous activities. The middles area of the park is where visitors will be shown many rock and cave paintings.

Tsavo has a legendary story about its lions, 2 of which became known as 'man-eaters' after many people working on the Kenya-Uganda railway in the ate 1800s were attacked and eaten by this viscious pair. This story was made into a film called The Ghost and the Darkness. The eastern park is much flatter and more arid than its western counterpart, which can be quite swampy. There are stunning water features in the East, but generally it is a vision of dry, rolling savannah.

Wheather & Climate & Where to find the Tsavo East National Park

Visitors to Tsavo East National Park can expect a hot, dry climate. The average temperature varies between 31°C/88°F during the day and 20°C/68°F at night. In most years, rainfall peaks in April and November during the long and short rains, respectively. Rain tends to fall as short, heavy showers.

Wildlife at the Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East is generally flat with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Feature attractions include the Yatta Plateau, Lugards Falls, Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam. The water features in Tsavo offer an oasis-like appeal to the park and keep the wildlife present. Game in Tsavo East includes the famous Big 5. Other sought after species are black rhino, hirola antelope, mongoose, giraffe, bat-eared fox, hyrax, Grevy's zebra, ground pangolin, Sykes's monkey, black-faced vervet monkey and dik dik, to name but a few.

Tsavo East has a good range of unusual antelope. This is one of few places to see the fringe-eared oryx. The lesser kudu is very shy but is sometimes seen darting off into the bushes. The long-necked gerenuk can be found standing on its hind legs to reach sparse foliage. With luck, you might spot the critically endangered Hunter's hartebeest (hirola) out in the remote far east of the park.

Lesser Kudu at the Tsavo East National Park

Birdlife at the Tsavo East National Park:

Tsavo East National Park has an impressive checklist of more than 500 bird species. It has many dry-country specials that can be easy to spot, including the magnificent golden-breasted starling, golden pipit and vulturine guineafowl. The park is also the southernmost stronghold for the Somali ostrich. The park’s huge area is a significant wintering ground for migrant species from Europe. Migrant birds are present from November to April.

Tsavo East offers great bird watching at any time of year. A lot of unusual specials are resident, making it easier to spot them with regularity year-round. Migratory birds call the park home from November to April. Heavy rain is a possibility (but by no means guaranteed) in November and April, which can disrupt bird-watching activities.