Tsavo East National Park

🇰🇪 Kenya

🐘 Red Dust Elephants of Tsavo

🌍 #81 Global · 4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #33 in Africa #35 in Savanna & Grassland

East Africa, Kenya 1695 spp. recorded

Tsavo 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

60–70% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

40–50% · Likely

Bateleur

Terathopius ecaudatus

20–30% · Possible

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

50–60% · Likely

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

Turtur chalcospilos

50–60% · Likely

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

40–50% · Likely

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

40–50% · Likely

Cape Turtle Dove

Streptopelia capicola

40–50% · Likely

Kenyan Rock Agama

Agama lionotus

40–50% · Likely

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

40–50% · Possible

Yellow Baboon

Papio cynocephalus

40–50% · Possible

Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

30–40% · Possible

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

30–40% · Possible

Grant's Gazelle

Nanger granti

30–40% · Possible

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

60–70% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

40–50% · Likely

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

40–50% · Likely

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

40–50% · Possible

Yellow Baboon

Papio cynocephalus

40–50% · Possible

Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

30–40% · Possible

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

30–40% · Possible

Grant's Gazelle

Nanger granti

30–40% · Possible

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

30–40% · Possible

East African Oryx

Oryx beisa

30–40% · Possible

Lesser Kudu

Tragelaphus imberbis

30–40% · Possible

Gerenuk

Litocranius walleri

30–40% · Possible

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

30–40% · Possible

Blue Monkey

Cercopithecus mitis

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Bateleur

Terathopius ecaudatus

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

50–60% · Likely

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

Turtur chalcospilos

50–60% · Likely

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

40–50% · Likely

Cape Turtle Dove

Streptopelia capicola

40–50% · Likely

Superb Starling

Lamprotornis superbus

30–40% · Possible

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

30–40% · Possible

White-browed Coucal

Centropus superciliosus

30–40% · Possible

African Palm-Swift

Cypsiurus parvus

30–40% · Possible

Northern Red-billed Hornbill

Tockus erythrorhynchus

30–40% · Possible

Little Swift

Apus affinis

30–40% · Possible

Parrot-billed Sparrow

Passer gongonensis

30–40% · Possible

Northern White-crowned Shrike

Eurocephalus ruppelli

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Kenyan Rock Agama

Agama lionotus

40–50% · Likely

Rock Monitor

Varanus albigularis

20–30% · Possible

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

20–30% · Possible

Böhme’s two-horned chamaeleon

Kinyongia boehmei

20–30% · Possible

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

10–20% · Possible

Speke’s sand lizard

Heliobolus spekii

10–20% · Possible

Sudan Plated Lizard

Broadleysaurus major

10–20% · Possible

White-headed Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus mombasicus

10–20% · Possible

Nile Monitor

Varanus niloticus

10–20% · Possible

Rainbow Skink

Trachylepis margaritifera

10–20% · Possible

Flap-necked Chameleon

Chamaeleo dilepis

10–20% · Possible

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Anchieta's Ridged Frog

Ptychadena anchietae

10–20% · With luck

African Common Toad

Sclerophrys gutturalis

10–20% · With luck

Taita Hills Caecilian

Boulengerula taitana

0–10% · With luck

Gong Rock Frog

Hyperolius glandicolor

0–10% · With luck

Red-Banded Rubber Frog

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

0–10% · With luck

Taita Warty Frog

Callulina dawida

0–10% · With luck

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog

Chiromantis xerampelina

0–10% · With luck

Garman's Toad

Sclerophrys garmani

Insufficient data

Somali Running Frog

Kassina somalica

Insufficient data

Peters' Foam-nest Tree Frog

Chiromantis petersii

Insufficient data

Common Squeaker

Arthroleptis stenodactylus

Insufficient data

Schilluk ridged frog

Ptychadena schillukorum

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Great Elephant Gathering at Aruba Dam

FebJun

Hundreds of elephants congregate at the dam to drink, bathe, and socialize, creating a spectacle of dust clouds and trumpeting calls.

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

60–70% · Likely

🐦

Migratory Raptors Over Lugard Falls

MarDec

Bateleurs and other raptors circle above the falls, hunting for fish and small prey in the riverine ecosystem during migration periods.

Bateleur

Terathopius ecaudatus

20–30% · Possible

🦌

Lion Prides on the Open Plains

AprJulAug

Lion prides hunt cooperatively in the vast grasslands, with cubs learning to stalk prey in the golden-hued savanna.

Lion

Panthera leo

40–50% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

African Bush Elephant

40–50

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

20–30

40–50

40–50

20–30

20–30

30–40

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

30–40

East African Giraffe

30–40

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

Fork-tailed Drongo

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

70–80

60–70

40–50

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

60–70

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

Cape Turtle Dove

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

Kenyan Rock Agama

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

30–40

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

30–40

40–50

10–20

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

10–20

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

20–30

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

30–40

Grant's Gazelle

30–40

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

20–30

African Buffalo

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

20–30

20–30

Animal Events

🦌 Great Elephant Gathering at Aruba Dam

🐦 Migratory Raptors Over Lugard Falls

🦌 Lion Prides on the Open Plains

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent

🐘 Red Dust Elephants of Tsavo

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

1023

🐒 Mammals

346

🦎 Reptiles

245

🐸 Amphibians

81

1695 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

84 Threatened 9 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

47%

📊

Coverage (389 species at ≥5% of 1695 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

23%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 mammal, 4 bird, 1 reptile)

47% Global avg

72%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

249

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

36

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

9

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