Tsavo East National Park
🇰🇪 Kenya
🐘 Red Dust Elephants of TsavoTsavo East National Park is a protected tropical savanna situated in southeastern Kenya. This vast expanse differs from neighboring reserves through its striking red earth, semi-arid plains, and the winding Galana River, which cuts entirely through the dry bushland.
-2.428° S 39.165° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ 
Lion
Panthera leo
★ 
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
★ 
East African Giraffe
Giraffa tippelskirchi
📊 Most Spotted
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Turtur chalcospilos
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Kenyan Rock Agama
Agama lionotus
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Yellow Baboon
Papio cynocephalus
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Grant's Gazelle
Nanger granti
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
⭐ Iconic Species
★ African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ Lion
Panthera leo
★ East African Giraffe
Giraffa tippelskirchi
📊 Most Spotted
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Yellow Baboon
Papio cynocephalus
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Grant's Gazelle
Nanger granti
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
East African Oryx
Oryx beisa
Lesser Kudu
Tragelaphus imberbis
Gerenuk
Litocranius walleri
Vervet Monkey
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Blue Monkey
Cercopithecus mitis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Turtur chalcospilos
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
White-browed Coucal
Centropus superciliosus
African Palm-Swift
Cypsiurus parvus
Northern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus erythrorhynchus
Little Swift
Apus affinis
Parrot-billed Sparrow
Passer gongonensis
Northern White-crowned Shrike
Eurocephalus ruppelli
📊 Most Spotted
Kenyan Rock Agama
Agama lionotus
Rock Monitor
Varanus albigularis
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
Böhme’s Two-horned Chamaeleon
Kinyongia boehmei
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
Speke’s sand lizard
Heliobolus spekii
Sudan Plated Lizard
Broadleysaurus major
White-headed Dwarf Gecko
Lygodactylus mombasicus
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
Rainbow Skink
Trachylepis margaritifera
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
📊 Most Spotted
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
Ptychadena anchietae
African Common Toad
Sclerophrys gutturalis
Taita Hills Caecilian
Boulengerula taitana
Gong Rock Frog
Hyperolius glandicolor
Red-Banded Rubber Frog
Phrynomantis bifasciatus
Taita Warty Frog
Callulina dawida
Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
Chiromantis xerampelina
Garman's Toad
Sclerophrys garmani
Somali Running Frog
Kassina somalica
Peters' Foam-nest Tree Frog
Chiromantis petersii
Common Squeaker
Arthroleptis stenodactylus
Schilluk ridged frog
Ptychadena schillukorum
Recent sightings in Tsavo East National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Great Elephant Gathering at Aruba Dam
Hundreds of elephants congregate at the dam to drink, bathe, and socialize, creating a spectacle of dust clouds and trumpeting calls.
2Lion Prides on the Open Plains
Lion prides hunt cooperatively in the vast grasslands, with cubs learning to stalk prey in the golden-hued savanna.
3Migratory Raptors Over Lugard Falls
Bateleurs and other raptors circle above the falls, hunting for fish and small prey in the riverine ecosystem during migration periods.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Great Elephant Gathering at Aruba Dam
- 2Lion Prides on the Open Plains
- 3Migratory Raptors Over Lugard Falls
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We saw lots of animals and a few cool birds, which I will share here: African elephant Maasai giraffe Gerenuk Martial eagle (I think) Lesser kudu Leaving the Park we drove through an “Elephant Grid” fence, one of several we have gone through on this trip, but I failed to talk about.
The drivers would be on their radios reporting sightings of paw prints or lions themselves, but once out in the park, Raphael would just drive me all over the place through a wide range of landscapes, stopping whenever we came across elephants, giraffes, hyenas and so much more.
We saw zebras standing elegantly against the golden grasslands and towering giraffes browsing quietly in the distance.
Lots of European rollers about and we also get to see our first Fringe Eared Oryx (also called a Besia Oryx – of which there are two sub-species – Fringe Eared and common – but I like the name Fringe Eared).
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Tsavo East National Park?
The most likely sightings are African Bush Elephant (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Fork-tailed Drongo (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers), Common Bulbul (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers), East African Giraffe (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers) — among 1695 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Tsavo East National Park for wildlife?
June has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see African Bush Elephant in Tsavo East National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 390 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Lion in Tsavo East National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 185 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Bateleur in Tsavo East National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Bateleur sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 741 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see East African Giraffe in Tsavo East National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a East African Giraffe sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 193 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
