Tsavo National Park. Tsavo East National Park, Kenya Tsavo National Park in Africa

Tsavo East/Tsavo National Park - one of the oldest and largest national parks Africa, located in Central Kenya, between Nairobi and east coast. The name of the park comes from the Tsavo River, which flows through the park. Together with Tsavo West Park, the reserve occupies 4% of the entire territory of Kenya and is one of the largest national parks in the world. The total area of ​​the park is 11,747 km². The park was founded in April 1948.

Flora and fauna of "East Tsavo"

The park's territory is predominantly covered with grassy savannah with shrubs and semi-dried meadows, as well as marshy areas in the area of ​​the Voi River. A reservoir was created in the Voi River area in 1952, which attracts many animals and waterfowl.

Among the representatives of the animal world, East Tsavo is inhabited by all members of the Big Five: lions, black rhinoceroses, buffalos, elephants and leopards. Also in the park you can find cheetahs, spotted hyenas, striped hyenas, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, various types of antelope (impala, kudu, oryx), yellow baboons, mongooses. About 500 species of birds nest in the park area, including migratory ones, which live here from October to January. Here you can see: black kite, cranes, ibises, hornbills and palm vultures.

Entrance to "Tsavo East"

Entrance to the park is accessible through three entrances - from Mombasa through the Bachuma gate; from the Voi side through the Manyani gate and from the Malindi side through the Sala gate. There are several airstrips within the park.

Accommodation in Tsavo East National Park

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The park has many places to accommodate different formats. These are tent camps, lodges, hotels.

It is a huge conservation area located in the south-eastern part of Kenya. The protected area includes Oriental And West Tsavo. Both sites received protected area status in 1948.

Today the total area of ​​the park is 2.1 million hectares. Within its borders the most widespread natural complex is the East African savanna.

Elephant grass, tree-like spurges, acacias, baobabs, and thickets of thorny bushes form the basis flora national park Tsavo. In addition, the park has small areas the forests and islets were in turmoil. Areas with the most lush vegetation become home to numerous African animals.

Tsavo National Park is the largest park in East Africa

Among the most interesting places parks include Tsavo river And Ngulia Canyon. On the river coast in large quantities A variety of birds live here, as well as ungulates and rhinoceroses. Also curious Mzima springs. They are located underground, in the east of the national park. Every day, approximately 500 million liters of water are released from the bowels of the earth in the protected area.

Much of East Tsavo is occupied Yatta highlands- a three-kilometer-long frozen lava flow. It was formed as a result of the eruption of the Ol Doinio Sabuk volcano. You can also see Mount Mudanda here. From its height it opens amazing view, and, having climbed it, you can safely observe the local animals.

A considerable number of lakes are located in the Mzima region. As a rule, these reservoirs are surrounded by dense and fairly diverse vegetation. The clear Mzima lakes are surrounded by reeds, acacias, baobabs, tamarind trees and palm trees. There is a small underwater observatory here, built for filming a film about wildlife. Now it is one of the local attractions. From a glass shelter you can observe the behavior of hippos, crocodiles, as well as flocks tilapia.

Typical inhabitants Tsavo National Park The following animals are: antelopes, zebras, giraffes, rhinoceroses, elephants and others. The protected area is home to predators - jackals, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and lions. The rhino population is very large.

The world of birds is very widely represented in the national park. Yes, within Tsavo Park About 500 species of all kinds of birds live here.

Tsavo National Park got its name from the river flowing here. It is divided into two zones - "East Tsavo" and "West Tsavo". In this reserve, in its spacious savannah covered with grasses, occasionally intersected by clusters of thorny bushes, nature has created ideal conditions for the free life of lion prides.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Ostrich on a terracotta road.

Lions in Tsavo have freedom - the savannah is not only their home, but also the homeland for antelopes and gazelles, not to mention buffalos, giraffes and zebras. Trying to get to know their life better on your own, without an experienced guide, is not just dangerous, but suicidal. But by relying on experienced specialists, you can take a fascinating immersion into the world wild africa, without fear of anything.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. View from the hill.

Hippos and crocodiles live on the Tsavo River - next to them you can often see zebras, antelopes and gazelles coming here to drink.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. And giraffes have love!

As already stated, Kenyan Tsavo National Park divided into eastern and western parts, which are essentially independent zones. Which one will be more interesting? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. “West Tsavo” is smaller, and “East Tsavo” is more difficult to move, as the area is swampy. But in “East Tsavo” live elephants and black rhinoceroses - although in the western part of the reserve there are many interesting representatives African fauna.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Termite mound.

Perhaps in this case it is worth relying on the opinion of professional guides - after all, different time animals prefer different territories. Note that in " Tsavo» you can spend time comfortably both before and after the excursion: hotels on the site of former plantations provide tours to Kenya travelers and comfortable stay, and the opportunity to watch the world of the reserve directly from the windows.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Typical landscape.

It’s probably difficult to add anything else here, just look at the photos.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Zebras.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Baobab.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Looks like nests.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. At the watering hole.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. An equipped place for observing animals at a watering hole.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Elephant and buffaloes.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Small volcano.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. You can fly in a helicopter!

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Ranger.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. The soil changes color from black to terracotta.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Monkey "Crown Monkey".

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Antelope.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Black volcanic soil.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Lunar landscape.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Three species of animals in one place.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. The inscription at the spring: "Beware of crocodiles."

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. And here comes the crocodile!

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Beautiful lake.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Entry.

Loik Tsavo camp

This camp is located near the Mombasa-Nairobi highway in Tsavo East. But since the road just separates East and West Tsavo, it is convenient to take a safari to both parks from the camp. The camp is located halfway from Mombasa to Nairobi, so planning routes with this camp is quite convenient.

Loik Tsavo camp is located on the banks of a picturesque river, the area is somewhat reminiscent of Russia. But don’t get your hopes up! Crocodiles and hippos live in the river, and the camp is not fenced in any way, so here, too, you need to be extremely careful and use the services of Maasai accompanying you.

Kenya. Tsavo National Park. Loik Tsavo camp.

The camp has a wonderful restaurant, the chef creates real masterpieces! But be careful. If you turn away, the monkeys will instantly steal everything that is on the table.

In the evening, around the fire, the Maasai will perform their traditional songs and invite you to dance with them. It's very fun and original! Dance or watch the action while sitting in a comfortable chair and sipping whiskey.

Tsavo (or Tsavo) is the largest national park in Kenya, which occupies the entire eastern territory of the country between the Great Rift Valley zone and the coastal strip Indian Ocean- from the border with Tanzania in the south to the border with Somalia in the north. In total, this is 5% of the area of ​​all of Kenya.

We weren’t in Tsavo on purpose - we just drove through it along the highway, so there will be very few photos, but I’ll write a little more than usual. So, this national park is crossed by the railway and the main federal highway Nairobi - Mombasa, connecting the capital of Kenya with largest port countries. Due to its enormous size (for comparison, the area of ​​Tsavo is 15 (!) times larger than the Masai Mara, the park is administratively divided into two parts: everything west of the highway towards Tanzania is the Western Tsavo National Park, and that’s all, that to the East towards Somalia is East Tsavo. West Tsavo is mountainous and is a savannah overgrown with acacias against a backdrop of mountains and lava fields. Due to volcanic processes, the soils here have an ocher-red hue, the skin tone of the local elephants here is also bright red - because of the soil. And in the rays of the moon, it is said to have a pink tint: that is why they joke that Tsavo is the only place in the world where you can actually see pink elephants (a sure sign of madness, according to the saying in English-speaking countries).

If Western Tsavo is mountainous, then East Tsavo, lying on the other side of the federal highway, is an endless plain. Unlike many other national parks in Kenya, it is not an open-air zoo, but a real lost World- due to its colossal size and the fact that the territory of Tsavo is sometimes covered with forests that are difficult to navigate, it is very difficult to find living creatures there, but every frame is all the more valuable. Of the entire vast territory of East Tsavo, only one third is open to tourists - and the entire territory of the park, located north and northeast of the Ati and Galana rivers, is closed to the public due to the risk of clashes with armed Somali poachers. The problem of poaching is one of the main problems in Kenya's national parks, and here in East Tsavo it is especially acute. In the early 50s, the number of elephants here was a fantastic 40 thousand (now throughout Kenya - 32 thousand), but in the 70-80s, armed groups of poachers began to penetrate en masse across the poorly guarded border with Somalia in Tsavo and kill several hundred elephants per month. They were also interested in rhinoceros horn. In the early 1990s, when a massive fight against poaching began in Kenya, the elephant population in East Tsavo was only 5,000, and less than a dozen rhinoceroses remained out of 6,000. Since then, the situation has improved dramatically - the number of elephants in both Tsavo has grown to 10 thousand, and rhinoceroses - to 100. But the war continues - it is no coincidence that north of the Galana River, closer to the territory of Somalia, tourists are not allowed.

Before moving on to the photographs, I’ll tell you two more stories. The first is about the maneless man-eating lions of Tsavo, forever etched in the history of Kenya due to a series of attacks on builders railway in 1898. A couple of lions, whom the builders nicknamed Ghost and Darkness, pulled people out of tents at night and dragged them into the forest. According to various estimates, in total they killed from 35 to 150 people. Police captain Charles Ryal volunteered to shoot the lions, but in the end he himself became their victim, falling asleep while on duty. Only much later, the head of the construction site, engineer Henry Patterson, shot one and then another lion - their stuffed ones can now be seen in the Museum of Natural History in Chicago. It is believed that the lions were then driven to cannibalism by their passion for carrion - they tore up the graves of deceased railway builders and thus became addicted to human meat.

The second story is about the great elephants of Kenya. In the middle of the 20th century East Africa There was no hunter who would not dream of killing King Tsavo - the huge elephant Suleiman. Neither traps nor ambushes had any effect on the animal. In his old age, Suleiman, whose tusks by that time exceeded two meters in length, got himself two servants - powerful elephants, who accompanied the teacher everywhere. They were nicknamed Ahmed and Muhammad. After the death of their “teacher” in the 1950s, they mysteriously disappeared from the territory of Tsavo - and only ten years later, in the late 60s, they appeared in northern Kenya in the Marsabit National Park. In 1970, hunters killed Muhammad. The next target was supposed to be Akhmet (elephants often went outside the park, so technically it was not illegal to hunt them). To save the giant, the country's first president, Kenyatta, declared this elephant national treasure and assigned him 24-hour security. It helped - Ahmed died in old age, and the length of its tusks exceeded three meters. Now the effigy of Ahmed can be seen in one of the museums in Nairobi.

1. And now - some photographs of Tsavo taken on the way to Mombasa. The expanses of Tsavo are covered with bushes and thick acacia, with dozens of gigantic baobab trees towering over the carpet.

2. Along the way we stopped at a picturesque place to take a photo with one of them.

4. And again we set off along the highway: on the left is East Tsavo, on the right is West.

• Location: Coast Province, Kenya (between Nairobi and Mombasa)
• Total area: 22 thousand sq. km.
• Year of formation: 1944
• Cost of visit: adult - 65 dollars, child - 30

Tsavo National Park is one of the world's largest nature reserves, located in exotic country. Its territory occupies 4% of the total area of ​​the state and is 22 thousand. square kilometers. The reserve is a large conservation area located in the south-east of the country, and includes Tsavo West and Tsavo East. In 1948, both sites received protected status.

Quite rare specimens of animals that are listed in the Red Book live here. The national park is also home to many large mammals, which are included in the "Big Five". So, the largest population lives here African elephant, which numbers up to seven thousand individuals. These animals love to pour red clay on themselves, which is why they are often called “red elephants”. Up to five hundred species of birds nest here, including migratory birds. Most of the year, with the exception of October-November and April-May, the weather is hot, dry. Fortunately, the Galana River flows through the reserve, which is a watering place for various birds and animals.

Eastern Tsavo

The territory of East Tsavo is essentially an arid savannah, which is strewn with bushes and many swamps. Only the southern part of the reserve, where the river flows, is open to the public. Therefore, tourists do not like to visit these regions, depriving themselves of the pleasure of enjoying the unique views of the area. Here is the largest plateau on the planet - the Yatta Plateau, formed from cooled lava.

In order for visitors to fully enjoy wildlife, nearby there is a special camp where you can spend the night and watch African animals around the clock: buffalos, impala antelopes, kudu, waterbucks and so on. And in the shade of the “fever trees” tourists will hear the soulful cries of green and crowned (blue) monkeys.

During droughts, the Aruba Dam, where animals come to drink, almost completely dries out. In this case, the animals go to the Athi River, which during high water (May, June, November) appears in all its splendor and ends with the seething Lugard Falls. The reservoirs are home to a huge number of Nile crocodiles, which hunt inattentive mammals trying to quench their thirst.

In Tsavo East you can see elephants, ostriches, hippos, cheetahs, lions, giraffes, herds of zebras and antelopes. Near the waterfall there is a black rhinoceros reserve. All conditions have been created here to increase the population of these animals, since due to poachers their number has decreased to fifty individuals. This part of the park is a nesting site for many migratory birds that arrive here at the end of October from Europe. Water cutters, palm vultures, weaver birds and other birds live here.

What is Tsavo West like?

The territory of Western Tsavo, compared to Eastern Tsavo, is much smaller. They are separated by the main highway A109 and the railway. The area of ​​this part of the national park is seven thousand square kilometers. However, there is quite a diverse flora and fauna here, with approximately 70 species of mammals living in these parts. In the clear sunny days From here you can see an amazing landscape. The landscape of Western Tsavo is more rocky and there are also more varieties of vegetation here than in the eastern part.

Chulu is also located here - these are young mountains that were formed from compressed ash as a result of a volcanic eruption. They rise at an altitude of two thousand meters and absorb moisture, and then, feeding underground springs, return it to the earth. According to researchers, the age of the youngest mountain is approximately five hundred years. This part of Tsavo Park is also famous for the underground springs Mzima Springs, which translates as “living”. With the help of groundwater coming to the surface, many reservoirs were formed in the reserve, which provide mammals with vital moisture. Here you can often find hippos swimming, and white and black rhinoceroses wander into the green thickets surrounding the lake. The latter can only be seen at night, during their activity, since daytime heat these animals wait in the shade of the trees.

Man-eating lions from Tsavo Park

In 1898, construction of the railway reached the Tsavo River valley. The progress of work was disrupted by the disappearance of several workers. The people soon discovered that they were being hunted by two huge lions around the camp. The length of the predators was approximately three meters, the animals were devoid of manes, although both were males. These animals specifically hunted down and then killed their victims, not because they were hungry, but simply because it gave them pleasure. Over the course of six months, according to various sources, from thirty to one hundred people were killed. The workers abandoned everything and began to go home. Then the construction manager decided to set traps, which the lions skillfully avoided. After this, John Patterson began hunting predators and first killed one, and after a while the second animal.