Tsavo National Park( East and West) Facts and Guide
Tsavo West protects a volcanic landscape of jagged black outcrops, solidified lava flows, and tangled acacia woodland overshadowed by Kilimanjaro on the southwest horizon. The red-earth plains of the larger and less developed Tsavo East have stronger affiliations with the semi-arid badlands of northern Kenya, despite being alleviated by the presence of the perennial Galana River.
Despite being mitigated by the enduring Galana River, the semi-arid badlands of northern Kenya are more closely associated with the red-earth plains of the bigger and less populated Tsavo East. Safari visitors will find both parks to offer an endless wilderness atmosphere; however, the western section is slightly superior to traditional Big Five viewing. In contrast, its eastern counterpart is ranked higher for bird species and endemic antelope in northern Kenya.
The most striking of the numerous striking volcanic features that crisscross Tsavo West’s northern circuit is the Shetani Lava Flow.
The Swahili term for this 200-year-old stream of sharp, tar-colored hardened magma is “Devil.”
The villagers avoid it because, according to their oral tales, a great number of people and animals were buried alive under the raging, fast-moving lava when it erupted from the adjacent Chyulu Hills. The oasis-like Mzima Springs, fed by a crystal-clear underground stream that springs atop Kilimanjaro and filters through the porous volcanic rocks of the Chyulu Hills, is both breathtakingly beautiful and an amazing geological occurrence.
Mombasa’s main water source, Mzima, is home to a luxuriant groundwater forest of fever trees and palms, an abundance of aquatic and woodland birds, and a few pods of hippos that are occasionally visible underwater from a submerged observation chamber.
Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary was established in 1986 to save the remaining Black rhinos in Tsavo West. It is surrounded by a high electric fence and is watched over by a specialized anti-poaching force.
With five waterholes and a population of about 70 Black rhinos (about one per square kilometer), the refuge offers great chances of seeing this elusive animal.
Situated beneath Tanzania’s North Pare Mountains and to the extreme south of Tsavo West, Lake Jipe is a shallow, sump-like body of water that is home to a huge number of hippos and crocodiles, in addition to elephants. Boat rides are a great way to see aquatic species that are unique to a given area, like the Black Coucal, Pygmy Goose, and Lesser Jaguar.
A transparent crater lake called Lake Chala is located near Tanzania on the southern foothills of Kilimanjaro. With a diameter of about 3 km (1.9 mi), the lake is almost undetectable until you fall over the brink of the crater where it is nestled. It is particularly beautiful when Kilimanjaro rises above the clouds on the northern horizon. It is well known among birdwatchers for being the sole location to view the Taita falcon, Taita apalis, Taita white-eye, and the critically endangered Taita thrush.
Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is misleadingly called that because it is located on the scrubby plains below the highlands that share an unfenced boundary with Tsavo West. Frequently, it is visited as part of an independent overnight safari package from the coast, which includes day and night drives with a decent chance of seeing elusive nocturnal animals including leopard, white-tailed mongoose, Honey badger, and genet. The unique, stilted Salt Lick Lodge is in a prime location for private elephant observation. The remote Taita Hills, which rise to 2,208 meters (7,244 feet) on the edge of Tsavo West, are the only part of the Eastern Arc Mountains in Kenya. The Eastern Arc Mountains consist of 13 massifs, the ancient forests of which are renowned for their high endemism content. Aruba Dam, the sole permanent water source in the area and a major focal point for game viewing in Tsavo East, was built on the Voi River in 1951.
Around the dam, lions can frequently be seen sleeping beneath the trees, and the road that leads westward towards Voi Gate is a great site to spot cheetahs, impala, Coke’s hartebeest, zebras, and gazelles.
Several specialized dry-country animals, including the Gerenuk, fringe-eared oryx, Somali ostrich, golden pipit, vulturine guineafowl, and golden-breasted starling, are found on the scrubby plains that extend northward towards the Galana River. The most notable feature of the Galana River as it travels through Tsavo East is Lugard Falls, a set of rapids that cut through a bed of white quartzite and black dolomite. A short distance downstream from the falls is a good place to see hippos.
East Africa’s version of Ayer’s Rock, 1.5km (0.93 mi) long Mudanda Rock, overlooks a waterhole where buffalo and elephants congregate to drink and wallow, and occasionally, leopards appear as dusk approaches. Mudanda Rock is an important landmark in Tsavo East.
