Tsavo East National Park

The Galana River serves as the lifeblood of Tsavo East National Park, located in Kenya’s northeastern province. This vast park, characterized by its semi-desert landscape, owes much of its vitality to the Athi-Galana-Sabaki River. The river sustains a rich variety of wildlife, including hippos and crocodiles, as well as lush plant life along its banks. From above, the river cuts through Tsavo East with dense vegetation lining its shores. Yet, just a few hundred meters away, the landscape transitions to dry, barren semi-desert, highlighting the river’s role in this ecosystem.

Near the Galana River, we came across a herd of elephants covered in an unusually dark layer of mud. It was striking to see this shade of mud on elephants, as they typically use dust baths and mud baths to protect their skin. These behaviors serve two important purposes: warding off pests, mites, and other insect infestations, and providing a natural shield against the scorching sun.

Two beautiful zebras are crossing the dry African grassland. The golden afternoon sun casts lengthy shadows and highlights the zebras’ black and white stripes. They go through the arid grasslands with acacia bushes and shrubs, checking their surroundings. The savanna stretches to the horizon, where hill outlines blend with the sky. It perfectly depicts the raw beauty of Kenya.

The yellow-necked spurfowl (Pternistis afra) is a bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa.
It is a rotund bird, about 33 cm long, with a short tail and strong legs. The male is mainly black, apart from a white patch on the neck and chestnut wing patches. The female has similar markings but is more brown overall.

The diet consists of seeds, insects and small reptiles. They are usually found in open country near water, where they can take advantage of the abundant invertebrate life.

Near the Galana river a giraffe was nipping green sprouts from the surrounding acacia trees. A character full face. 

A Secretary Bird hunting for insects in the dry/arid Tsavo East. 

Hippopotamus quietly floating around in the Galana river Tsavo East

A Oryx lightly disturbed looks up from the grazing to see what we are doing. Beautiful afternoon sunshine in Tsavo East 

A nice profile of a Spur wing plover in Tsavo East 

The contrast between the violent Galana river and the barren landscape of Tsavo East 

I am not sure if this Olive Baboon was talking me or what was the intention, but the sounds and the gestures was there. 

Looking at this adult elephant and you can see one of the back legs is disfigured. Most likely inherited as we saw other elephants in the herd with similar issues. Apart from the disfigured back leg the elephant looked healthy so it would not have been too much of a handicap for survival. 

Crocodiles basking in the sun can overheat but opening the mouth can lower the body temperature. Here a example from Tsavo east. 

With the Yatta plateau in the background you get a good impression of the rugged terrain of Tsavo East. The Galana river is in the foreground giving a few green specks to the barren view. Tsavo East is a Kenyan national park that covers an area of approximately 13,747 square kilometers. The park is located in the Coast Province and lies in the Taita-Taveta County. It is bordered to the north by the Yatta Plateau, which at 2,149 meters above sea level is one of the world’s longest lava flows. The park can be accessed through three gates: Voi, Bachuma and Mackinnon Road. Tsavo East is crossed by the Galana River, which forms a large swamp in the south of the park. The riverine forests around the Galana River are home to hippopotamuses and crocodiles. Elsewhere in the park are open plains, acacia woodlands and scrublands
The rugged terrain of Tsavo East makes it difficult to access many areas of the park.

Elephant walking in the Galana river with the Yatta Plateau close by. Tsavo East National Park is one of the most popular parks in Kenya. The park is located in the Coast Province and covers an area of 8,000 square kilometers. The park is well known for its rugged terrain and diverse wildlife. Tsavo East is home to over 1,000 elephants, as well as lions, leopards, buffalo, rhinos, and many other species. One of the highlights of a visit to Tsavo East is a safari along the Galana River. This river flows through the heart of the park and offers excellent opportunities to see elephants and other wildlife up close.