Tsavo National Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya situated at a total area of 13,747 square kilometers in a semi-arid area known as the Taru Desert near the town of Voi in the Taita-Taveta County of the former Coast Province.
The A109 road and a railway which passes through the Park divide it into two sections which are; the Tsavo East and Tsavo West.
Tsavo East National Park consists of the Athi and Tsavo Rivers which further converge to form the Galana River. Most of the park consists of semi-arid grasslands and savanna.
It is considered one of the world’s biodiversity strongholds and its popularity is mostly due to the vast amounts of diverse wildlife that can be seen including the famous Africa’s big five which comprise of African lions, rhinos, Cape buffaloes, African elephants and leopards.
The park is also home to a great variety of bird life such as the black kite, crowned crane, lovebird and the sacred ibis. Tsavo East National Park is generally flat, with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau and Lugard Falls.
Tsavo West National Park is more mountainous and wetter with swamps, Lake Jipe and the Mzima Springs. It is also known for birdlife and for its large mammals. It is also home to a black rhino sanctuary.
The whole Tsavo National Park is one of the world’s largest game reserves providing undeveloped wilderness homes to vast numbers of animals and the famous residents here are the Tsavo lions with a total population of over 675 lions.
Other wildlife species in the Park include; giraffes, African hares, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, hartebeests, elands, duikers, civets, bat-eared foxes, impalas, mongooses, dik-dik, aardwolves, monkeys, klipspringers, warthogs, water bucks, yellow baboons, bush babies, genets, gerenuks, gazelles, and Grevy’s zebra among others.
Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the area, including ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaver birds, kingfishers, hornbills, secretary birds and herons.
Accommodations within the Park include; Satao tented camp, Galdessa camp, Satao rock safari camp, Voi safari lodge, Voi wildlife lodge, Lake Jipe safari lodge, Severin safari camp, Voyager ziwani camp, Kilaguni Serena safari lodge, Man Eaters camp, Severin Kitani bandas, Hunters lodge, Coast safari lodge and many more.
