Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West National Park: Background Info

Tsavo West National Park is known as “ Land of Lava, Springs, Man-eaters and Magical Sunsets”. Its popularity is based on the man eating lions that killed hundreds of people during the construction of the Railway line and the highway during the colonial era. Tsavo West national park is the second largest national park in Kenya covering an area of 9,065 square kilometres. Its separated from Tsavo East national by the A109 highway that connects Nairobi to Mombasa. The park is also a home of over fifty million gallons of crystal clear water that comes from under parched lava rock. The park is more scenic than tsavo east national park with rugged mountainous areas. The Mzima springs and the Shetani lava flows are unique attractions found at the park. Tsavo West national park is wetter than tsavo east national park.

To the south of Tsavo West, the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary, directly bordering the well-known Taita Hills Game Sanctuary, is one of Kenya’s most successful new community conservation initiatives. If you’re interested in Lumo safaris you’ll find there’s just one lodge on the conservancy and that it shares a common border with the Taita Hills Sanctuary.

Tsavo West National Park: Destination Preview

The Experience: Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West National Park's habitat includes open plains and savannah bush, semi-desert scrub, acacia woodlands, numerous rocky ridges and outcrops and swathes of riverine vegetation. Toward the Chyulu Hills, the landscape is of recent volcanic origin with some spectacular lava flows. The park is strikingly beautiful, particularly in the northern section close to the Chyulu Hills. It is possible to drive up to some fabulous vantage points such as Poacher’s Lookout where on a clear day it is possible to view Mount Kilimanjaro.

One of Tsavo West’s main attractions is the Mzima Springs, where sparkling crystal-clear springs are home to hippo and crocodile that can be watched from an underground lookout. In addition, the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary is a 70 square kilometre fenced reserve, established to protect the black rhino, and this is one of the few places in the country where it is possible to view this incredible creature.

The game in Tsavo can vary considerably throughout the year and is at its best at the end of the dry season. In general it is not a reserve to come and tick off large numbers of big game, but predators are not uncommon and it’s also possible to see large herds of elephant as well as buffalo, common waterbuck, eland, gerenuk, fringe-eared oryx, impala and Maasai giraffe.

Wildlife

Wildlife densities in Tsavo West National Park aren’t that great, but everything is there – you just need to be patient. There are many elephants, and they are often covered in red dust, giving them an eerie appearance. The park is also known for its maneless lions and big herds of buffalo. Black rhinos have been on the comeback in Tsavo since the 1980s when they were close to being locally extinct.

Tsavo West is one of the best places to see the skittish lesser kudu. The rocky terrain is also a good habitat to look for klipspringers, which are often seen in pairs. Watch also for antelope that thrive in arid conditions, including the very localized fringe-eared oryx and gerenuk. The drive-through rhino sanctuary increases your chances of spotting the elusive black rhino.

Birdlife

Tsavo West national park is one of the best park to go birding. It is 9065 km square. It contain extensive land of grey thornbush and red ochre sand, which are covered with tall,lush green grasses if you are lucky to be there after good rains . The best time to visit the park is from October-April when the bird migration is on. The Park’s prolific birdlife features more than 400 recorded species.

Ngulia Hills, one of the landmarks in the park, is situated along one of the world’s busiest avian migration routes. Bird ringers make an annual pilgrimage here between October and January. Ngulia is the site of Africa’s foremost bird-ringing project, which involves tagging to enable individual bird identification. More than 100 migrant and resident species have been ringed here, the most prolific being marsh warbler, river warbler, red-backed shrike, thrush nightingale and common whitethroat.