Tsavo, which comes from the Maasai word for ‘river’, covers a huge area of Kenya and is divided into two national parks, named Tsavo East and Tsavo West, with Tsavo East stretching down to the Tanzanian border.
Often overlooked on safari itineraries, Tsavo nevertheless is home to a vast abundance of eco-regions and the wildlife found within is among the best that Kenya has to offer. One of the oldest national parks, Tsavo East is truly huge in scale, covering almost 12,000 square kilometres.
There is evidence that humans have lived in Tsavo since prehistoric Stone Age times. Later, Arab slave traders crossed the vast expanses with caravans of captives, and those who could not walk were left by the roadside to be eaten by the area’s infamous man-eating lions.
Such a large reserve is bound to contain many species of wildlife. All of the usual species of plains game can be found here, with the addition of many lesser-known species, such as the aardwolf, the large spotted genet and the while tailed mongoose.
Over 500 bird species can also be seen in the area, making these two large parks a must-see destination for those interested in Kenya’s rich diversity.
