Tsavo East National Park
TSAVO NATIONAL PARK
Tsavo National Park was established on 1st April, 1948 with an area of 21,812 Km2 It is the largest Park in Kenya. In May 1948 Tsavo National Park was divided into East and West for administrative purposes. The two Parks are divided by Nairobi-Mombasa railway /road. Tsavo East alone covers an area of 11,800 square kilometers.
The Waliangulu and Kamba tribes used it as a hunting ground prior to gazettement. Dr. Krapf journeyed on foot through this area in 1848 crossing the Tsavo river on his way to Kitui - first European to see Mt. Kenya. Construction of the railway reached Tsavo river in 1898. During the construction of the bridge Lions the so called Man eaters of Tsavo terrorized the workers, killing over 130 people before being killed by Col. Patterson. During the World War IBritish forces built fortresses along Tsavo river to counter threats from invading German forces from Tanganyika presently Tanzania, whose intention was to blow up the Tsavo river bridge that was vital to British Communication. Captain Lugards a European explorer passed through the area on his way to Uganda and had a drop over at the Lugards Falls area
Tsavo-Eastcovers approx.40 per cent of the total area of all Kenya's National Parks. Its beautiful landscape and proximity to the coastal Towns of Mombasa and Malindi makes it a popular safari destination.Tsavo's scenery is spectacular, and so is the wildlife ‑ Tsavo is particularly known for its 'red elephants', coloured that way because of the red soil, the elephants glow red after dust baths, blowing the vivid red dust through their trunks over their bodies. But you'll also find rhino here, if you're lucky as well as lion, cheetah and a variety of plains game. 500 bird species have been recorded including ostrich and some migratory kestrels and buzzards stop at Tsavo-East during their long flight south.
Lugard falls on the Galana River are remarkable for the shaped water-worn rocks not forgeting to mention the Mudanda Rock and the Yatta plateau, the world's largest lava flow
