Tsavo East National Park: Home to Man Eaters 

Tsavo East National Park is a renowned wildlife capital in Kenya, especially for its lion population. This National Park covers 13,747 square kilometers, encompassing a diverse range of habitats including the open savanna grasslands that teem with zebras, buffalo, elephants, and antelopes among other grazer mammals. The other habitats include the Semi-Arid Shrublands and bushlands, Riverine Forests, Acacia woodlands, and seasonal swamps which all offer refuge to a diverse number of wildlife species in the area.

Since its establishment in 1948, Tsavo East National Park has proved to be a dream destination for wildlife watchers who appreciate the immense biodiversity of the park during the Kenya Wildlife Safaris. The Tsavo River is the bloodline of this national park, offering water to its wildlife, including 675 lions, Aardwolf, Yellow baboons, African buffalo, Bushbuck, Senegalese bush baby, Caracal, African wildcats, Southern African cheetah, African civet, Kirk’s dik-dik, African dormouse, Common eland, Blue duiker, among others.

Besides its incredible wildlife, this park is also home to a diverse array of birdlife with up to 500 different species registered within its boundaries. Among the species commonly spotted are the ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaver birds, kingfishers, hornbills, and herons, among others.

The generally flat nature of Tsavo East National Park is an incentive for the large numbers of animals seen on the game drive on a Kenyan Safari. Rivers like the Galana River meander in the plains of Tsavo and provide fresh drinking water to several animals. Game drives are much easier in Tsavo East; the flat landscape is convenient for cars, and the less muddy trails make most parts of the park accessible during wildlife safaris in Kenya.

History of Tsavo East National Park

There was a hostile group of local people in the Nyika province of Kenya whom the British and Germans found during their exploration of East Africa. The British expansion into the interior of Kenya paved the way for the construction of a railway through the region around Tsavo East National Park in 1898.

In this quest, the British found resistance from two man-eaters who consequently attacked the workers from India who were constructing the railway. Colonel John Henry Patterson eventually killed the 2 lions to save the lives of 130 Indians who were working for the British government. The Indians were able to proceed with the construction work of the railway until they reached in Kisumu along the shores of Lake Victoria, West of Kenya.

It was not until 1948 that Tsavo was still occupied by the pastoral tribes of Orma, but later the British gazetted it into a conservation site, which was later upgraded into Tsavo National Park.

The Orma tribes were driven to the areas around Voi and Mtito Andei; however, their large number could not be sustained there, so others were sent to the Taita Hills.

The new Kenyan government, after independence, was against hunting activities around Tsavo in 1963, which changed the authority of overseeing the activities of the park to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

 

Attractions and Activities: Things to do at Tsavo East National Park

The Lion Population in the Park

Tsavo East National Park is strongly linked to the roots of lions and the cradle of the kings of the jungle. Wildlife Safaris to this Park give surreal experiences in the most feared jungles of Africa. The lions of Tsavo exhibit special characteristics compared to those in other national parks in Kenya. There are more than 600 lions in the park, making it one of the best places to witness these majestic cats during Kenya wildlife safari/ Kenya safari holidays.  The large lion population is supported by a healthy population of mammal grazers, including zebras, buffalo, wildebeests, hippos, blessing viewers with memorable safari encounters during Kenya holidays. Tsavo East National Park is indeed the best place in see lions on a Kenyan Safari.

Other Wildlife species in the Park & how to explore them?

Besides the large population of lions, this National Park is home to several other wildlife species including; African Elephants (famous for their red-dusted appearance), African Buffaloes, Leopards, Cheetah, Hyenas (mainly Spotted Hyenas, Giraffes (Masai and Reticulated subspecies), Hippo, Black Rhinos (though rare and elusive), Zebras (Burchell’s Zebra), Warthogs, Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Elands, Lesser Kudus, Gerenuks, Impala, Waterbucks, Grants Gazelles, Kirk’s Dik-dik, and Hartebeests among other.

The best way to explore the park is by embarking on game drives safaris, exploring its top wildlife viewing hotspots. Game drives in the Park are done on customized 4*4 Landcruiser vehicles with pop up roofs.

The Yatta Plateau

The longest lava plain, the Yatta Plateau, is one of the key attractions at Tsavo East National Park, and it is a fascinating feature to watch while on a Kenyan Safari.  Landscapes around this serene Yatta Plateau give photogenic impressions and offer one of the best places for photography. Wildlife has managed to thrive around the Yatta Plateau, as popularly seen on game drives. The trucks at the plateau can easily be navigated using a 4×4 vehicle. Bushland stands at the center of the Yatta Plateau, where herds of animals graze. Other vegetation around the area includes the baobab trees standing along seasonal pools and wells. There are many sites where visitors can camp along the Yatta Plateau.

When To Visit Tsavo East National Park

Visiting Tsavo National Park is done all year, however, the dry months from June to September and December to February are the best because the animals can easily be spotted in tall bushes.  Navigating through the park is also easy during the dry season since most track are dry.

How To Get To Tsavo East Park

Visitors going to the Park can get there in 3 ways, namely: air, road, and train

By road

This Park can be accessed from the 3 gates of Voi, Buchuma, and Sala. The Voi Gate of Tsavo is 325 km from Nairobi, and a drive from the capital, Nairobi, to Voi takes 4-6 hours. Buchuma Gate is the closest to Mombasa town, with 100 km in between. A drive to the gate at Buchuma from Mombasa is about 2-3 hours. Lastly, Malindi and other coastal areas use the Sala Gate, which is 100 km away, and a drive to Sala is about 1-2 hours.

Voi Gate is 325km from Nairobi, Buchuma Gate is 100 km from Mombasa Sala Gate is 105 km, on the Madaraka Express

By air

There are charter flights to take Visitors from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which can be booked through a tour agent.

By train

Kenya has a standard-gauge railway called the Madaraka Express Train running from Mombasa to Nairobi. The train takes 6 hours from Nairobi to Voi and 2 hours from Mombasa to Voi, which is supplemented by taking a car to Voi Gate.