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Tsavo West National Park - Kenya Safaris
The combined area of Tsavo East and West National Parks makes Tsavo one of the world's largest game sanctuaries, larger than Wales in Great Britain or Jamaica in the Caribbean. Lying about halfway between Nairobi and Mombasa it covers 20, 812 square kilometers. Tsavo East is larger and more arid than Tsavo West and is less frequented. In 1948, Tsavo was gazetted as Kenya's second national park, two years after Nairobi National Park was so declared. A combination of tsetse fly and lack of water had kept this great tract of land from being occupied by humans. There are only two permanent rivers in this vast area, the Tsavo, which begins its life on Mount Kilimanjaro and is greatly supplemented by a huge underground river flowing from Mzima Springs and the Athi in Tsavo East, which begins near Nairobi. Poachers and drought caused tremendous devastation among the park's elephant and rhino populations but both species are now recovering. Tsavo is a model national park in both layout and its geophysical, animal and plant diversity. Tsavo West has more than 2000 kilometers of well maintained, all weather, roads. Good signposting leads the visitor from one natural wonder to another.
Chief among Tsavo West National Park's must rank the marvel of Mzima Springs, replenished with two hundred and twenty million liters of crystal-clear water every day, from the underground streams stemming from the lava massif known as the Chyulu Hills, 40-50 kilometers away. Mzima forms a haven for a rich wildlife pageant with elephant soaking half immersed in the waters, light footed but ponderous looking hippo, apparently weightless, tip-toeing across the bottom, crocodiles basking on the bank or swirling through the water; gazelles, zebra and giraffe wandering around the banks through the thick acacias and raffia palms together with hundreds of chattering monkeys and birds.
Mzima is also the main source of Mombasa's water supply. There are well-marked nature trails, an observation platform and an underwater glass tank, which provides a special vantage point to view this remarkable oasis. Not far from Mzima Springs, along a well-marked track, lies the precipitous magnificence of the Ngulia escarpment at the foot of the Ngulia Hills, which rise to 1825 meters. Each year from late September to November, Ngulia has become the base of a unique phenomenon. Attracted by the lights of Ngulia Lodge, thousands of migrant birds descend through the mists, which are prevalent at this time of the year to be netted, ringed and released. It has become one of the bird wonders of the world and provides vital information on the migratory routes and the habits of many species common to the northern hemisphere.
Tsavo West National Park's reports of ringed birds have been received from as far north as Saint Petersburg, and from countries as widely separated as Oman. Apart from the elephant population there are many lions - some undoubtedly the descendants of the famous Maneaters of Tsavo. Among the less common animals to be found are the fringed-eared Oryx, the gerenuk and lesser kudu. The carnivores in addition to lion include serval car, hyena, leopard cheetah and caracal.
Tsavo West National Park's landscape is dominated, especially off the hills by the giant baobab, a tree that is reputed to live a thousand years. After the rains, Tsavo West National Park is showered with white and pink ipomea, the morning glory family, and the acacia trees are festooned in feathery masses of white and pink blossom. The desert rose, somewhat like a miniature baobab, produces fuschia-pink flowers of striking beauty at almost any time of the year. The first lodge inside Tsavo West National Park was Kilaguni, opened by Britain's Duke of Gloucester in 1962. It stands at the canter of Tsavo West and affords excellent game runs in all directions. The lodge and its waterhole have an almost permanent population of ground squirrels, warthog, hyrax, mongooses and masses of impudent birds. Elephant are nearly always to be seen, with many other animals at the waterhole. This feast of wildlife, flora and birds combines to make Tsavo West of special interest - an interest perhaps made greater by geological activity evidenced by a mass of recently extinct volcanoes and massive lava flows.
It is also possible to make an excursion to the Chyulu Hills National Park, which abuts Tsavo West to the northwest. The Chyulu Hills are one of the world's newest mountain ranges; the most recent volcanic peak was formed only 500 years ago. A four-wheel drive track leads to this peak -Shaitani- from the Chyulu gate near Kilaguni Lodge and it is simple to walk to the caves on the side of the volcano. It is a breathtaking landscape of rampant ferocity and the vistas to Kilimanjaro are unbeatable. At the other end of Tsavo West, in the south-west corner, lies Lake Jipe. Bisected by the border with Tanzania; it is a favorite haunt of bird watchers and boats are available for ardent ornithologists. In the lake area is a small herd of Grevy's zebra, translocated from northern Kenya in 1977.
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