TSAVO & TAITA HILLS

TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK :

Tsavo West National Park is a 9,000 sq km game park in southern Kenya, located about 200 km south-east of Nairobi. Separated only by the Mombasa/Nairobi road from Tsavo East, Tsavo West is part of the entire Tsavo eco-system.

Tsavo is a model national park in both layout and its geophysical, animal amd plant diversity. Tsavo West has more than 2000 km of well maintained, all weather, roads. Good signposting leads the visitor from one natural wonder to another.

Chief among these must rank the marvel of Mzima Springs, replenished with two hundred and twenty million litres of crystal clear water every day, from the underground streams stemming from the lava massif known as the Chyulu Hills, 40-50 km away. Mzima forms a haven for a rich wildlife pageant with elephant soaking half immersed in the waters, 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.

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 fron 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 metres. 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 the the bird wonders of the world and provides vital information on the migratory routes and habits of many species common to the northern hemisphere. Reports of ringed birds have been received from as far north as St Petersburg, and from countries as widely seperated as Oman, Malawi, Iran and Germany.

Apart from the elephant population there are many lion-some undoubtedly the descendants of the famous Maneaters of Tsavo! Among the less common animals to be found at the fringed-eared oryx, the gerenuk and lesser kudu. The carnivores in addition to lion include serval, hyena, leopard, cheetah and caracal.

The landscape is dominated, especially off the hills by the giant baobab, a tree which is reputed to live a thousand years. After the rains the 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 blossoms. The desert rose, somewhat like a miniature baobab, produces fuschia-pink flowers of striking beauty at almost any time of the year.

This feast of wildlife, flora and birds combines to make Tsavo 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 to the north west. The Chyulus 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 and it is simpkle 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 favourite haunt of bird watchers and boats are available for ardent ornithologists.

TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK :

Tsavo-East is one of Kenya's oldest and largest National Parks covering almost 40% of the total area of Kenya's National Parks. The combined area of Tsavo East and West form one of the world's largest game reserves- 13,000 sq.km. practically all of Kenya's wildlife is represented in the two Tsavo parks, with generous portions of elephant herds.

Its beautiful landscape and proximity to the coast make it a popular safari destination. It is accredited as one of the world's leading biodiversity strongholds, bushy grassland and open plains alternate with semi-arid acacia scrub and woodlands. Green swathes cross the park where the river banks give raise to lush vegetation. North of Galana is a true wilderness. A number of leading tour guides offer private safaris across this area, camel safaris are a feature.

Tsavo-East is recommended for photographers with its fabulous light and unbelievable views, in particular the Mudanda Rock and the Yatta Plateau, the world's largest lava flow. Lugard Fall on the Galana River are remarkable for the shaped water-worn rocks.

Game includes: elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, crocodile, waterbuck, kudu, gerenuk and zebra and Hunter's Hartebeest can be seen with its lyre-shaped horns. Home to some of the largest herds in Kenya, the elephants glow red after dust baths, blowing the vivid red dust through their trunks over their bodies.

Some 500 bird species have been recorded in the area, including ostrich and some migratory kestrels, while buzzards stop at Tsavo-East during their long flight south.

The vegetation around Tsavo East National Park is savannah grassland with thorny bushes and some swampy marshland near Voi River. The landscape is unique because of the Yatta Plateau formed from the lava that oozed from Ol Doinyo Sabuk Mountain.

The main river that passes through this park is the River Galana. A variety of animals can be seen: lions, leopard, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, serval, antelopes, kongoni, lesser kudu, oryx, klipspringer, impala, stripped hyena, gazelles, buffalos, and elephants.

A variety of migratory and native birds are seen. The birds are viewed between late October and early January, and come from as far as Eastern and Western Europe. Commonly seen birds are African skimmers, goshawks, red and yellow bishops, palm nut vultures and the white-headed buffalo weavers.

Some places of interest near the park are: Lugard Falls named after Lord Lugard, who volunteered for the British Diplomatic Services in East Africa.

Crocodile Point on the Galana River. Mudanda Rock, a 2 mile stretch of an Ayers type of rock, which acts as a water catchment area supplying water to the dam below. Large numbers of elephants congregate there during the dry season.

TAITA HILLS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY:

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is spectacularly located at the foot of the Taita Hills adjacent to Tsavo National Park, one of the world's largest game reserves.

The Sanctuary, established in 1972, is privately owned and managed and covers a protected area of 28,000 acres (approximately 110 sq. kms or 44 sq. miles) rising to an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level (3,600 ft.).

It consists mainly of plains and woodlands, with typical riverbank vegetation along the water course. Flanked by the eye-catching and craggy Taita Hills, the park offers a safe-haven to a wide variety of animals and birds in a compact area of natural beauty. More than 50 species of mammals are found in this area and over 300 species of birds have been recorded within its boundaries.

Wildlife survives and thrives where there are suitable protected habitats and at Taita, a highly trained team of rangers ensure that none of the animals are disturbed or harassed in any way. An extensive network of roads give good access to most parts of the Sanctuary and every junction is identified with numbered posts. Sections of the Sanctuary are closed to traffic in order to provide a safe haven for timid species.

In order to ensure that the conservation efforts remain sustainable and to strengthen efforts in practicing responsible eco-tourism, the Sanctuary has established regulations that all visitors need to comply with. These include no off-road driving, observance of a 30 kph speed limit, conforming with opening and closing times, and respecting the fact that all the animals within the Sanctuary are wild and therefore should not be fed or harassed in any way.

The majority of the Sanctuary is unfenced, and as a consequence there is a considerable fluctuation in wildlife numbers (particularly elephant, buffalo and giraffe) in response to both water resources and food availability. Local herds of plains game (e.g. zebra, hartebeest, Grant's gazelle, eland etc.) support resident populations of predators (including lion, leopard and cheetah) throughout the year. Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary has three prides of lions which total more than 30 individuals - members are seen virtually every day.

The vegetation within the Sanctuary shows a north-south, as well as east-west gradient from bush to wooded savanna and grassland. Browsing species such as waterbuck, impala, bushbuck and reedbuck are normally encountered in riverine or marshy vegetation and are preyed on by leopard.

An electric fence along our northern boundary prevents elephant and buffalo from venturing into the neighboring villages and damaging crops. This is part of the commitment to supporting local communities.

The best times for viewing wildlife are early morning and mid to late afternoon. Light conditions at these times are also optimal for photography. The Sanctuary also offers a unique and unobtrusive facility for viewing wildlife from a different perspective in this area - night game drives. Since almost 40% of the wildlife species at Taita are nocturnal, night game drives provide guests with an opportunity of seeing animals not normally encountered on a conventional game drive (such as spotted and striped hyena, various species of mongoose, jackal, civet, genet, honey badger, porcupine and bushbaby). Since most of the predators are also more active at night, the chances of encountering them on such a trip are also increased.