Tsavo East National Park
|
Tsavo East National Park
|
|
 Road in Tsavo East National Park |
|
| location |
Kitui , Taita-Taveta and Tana River Counties , Kenya
|
| surface | 11,747 km² |
| WDPA ID | 752 |
| Geographical location | 2 ° 46 ′ S , 38 ° 46 ′ E |
|
|
| Setup date | 1948 |
| administration | Kenya Wildlife Service |
The Tsavo East National Park is the largest National Park in Kenya , East Africa .
.jpg)
On April 1, 1948, the Tsavo National Park was established with a total area of 21,812 km². In May 1949 the division into Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park took place for administrative reasons . Before the national parks were designated, the area of both parks was owned by the Orma , Watta , Massai and Kamba ethnic groups , who each had to give up their settlements.
With an area of 11,747 square kilometers, the eastern part is about 2,000 km² larger than the western part. The areas north of the permanently water-bearing Galana River, about two thirds of the park, are not accessible to visitors.
landscape
The park is characterized by grass and bush savannahs and semi-desert steppes. These alternate with acacia forests, rock gorges, individual rock groups and island mountains. Seasonal rivers in the southern part are Voi River and Mbololo River. The Athi River and the Galana River (this is created above the Lugard waterfalls by the confluence of the Athi and Tsavo Rivers) are permanently watered . Narrow gallery forests can be found along the rivers. Standing water can be found at Mundanda Rock (natural stagnation due to the rock face) and at the Aruba Dam, as well as smaller water holes, which were often created by elephants. Gneiss and slate soils predominate, parts of the park are of volcanic origin. A flat and extensive ridge of lava, the Yatta Plateau, runs along the western boundary to the east of the Athi River; it is the longest lava field in the world.
Wildlife
The park is characterized by its special diversity of large animals. Tsavo is best known for the large elephant population (the largest in Kenya) and its lions. The "red elephants from Tsavo" owe their color to the red soil in the national park. You use this to powder yourself in dust baths or mud baths . Male lions in Tsavo usually have no or only a very thin mane, which is interpreted as an adaptation to the hot climate. In 1898, two man-eating lions halted the construction of the East African Railroad for months. They were attributed to 135 human sacrifices. Based on bone samples, around 35 victims are assumed today.
Species typical of Tsavo are those that can survive particularly well in relatively dry savannah regions, such as giraffe gazelles , East African oryx antelopes and Grant's gazelles . Other large ungulates are black rhinos , plains zebras , cape buffalo , hartebeest , lesser kudu , eland , waterbuck , impalas , giraffes , kirk dikdiks . In addition to the lion, cheetah and leopard are two other large cat species in the area. Vervet Monkey , Sykes' Monkey and Yellow Baboon represent the monkeys. Nile crocodiles and hippos live at water points such as the "Galana River" . The Somali ostrich is the largest of the 600 bird species. In the adjacent Tsavo West National Park, however, there are Maasai ostriches.
Impalas and yellow baboons in the national park
Plains zebras on one of the typical red dirt slopes
Giraffes
Cape buffalo in Tsavo East
Cheetah on a road in Tsavo East National Park
Elephants in the dust bath
Baboons in the dry savannah
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
poaching
In the 1970s, about 40,000 elephants lived in Tsavo East National Park. Due to a sharp rise in ivory prices and gangs organized with modern equipment, poaching increased sharply, especially in the 1980s several thousand elephants were killed annually for their ivory. In 1989 there were only about 5000 elephants left in Tsavo East National Park, three quarters of all elephants in Kenya had been poached. In 1989 a worldwide ban on trade in ivory came into effect and stocks began to recover continuously. The number of poached elephants is currently increasing again, which is attributed to the partial relaxation of trade bans.
Even more so in the same period were black rhino poaching. Between 1970 and 1980, 95% of the Kenyan population was poached, most of the animals in Tsavo National Park. In 1989 they were almost wiped out. Today the black rhinos of the Tsavo East National Park are mainly in the areas north of the Galana River that are closed to visitors.
Since 2002 there has been a surge in poaching with traps. For this reason, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is increasingly patrolling the park borders, the state organization is supported in this by a so-called "desnaring" team set up by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust . David Sheldrick was the first chief gamekeeper in Tsavo East National Park and was instrumental in setting up the park.
In addition to tracking down snares and arresting poachers, both the KWS and the “desnaring” team are trying to educate the local population.
Unlike many other wildlife sanctuaries, the Tsavo East National Park in particular is regarded as an environment hostile to human life and therefore offers the best conditions for a large retreat for animals. This is also one of the main reasons why Tsavo has become one of the largest national parks in East Africa.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Tsavo East National Park (English)
- ↑ Kenya Wildlife Service - Information on Tsavo East National Park ( Memento from August 10, 2012 on WebCite ) (English)
- ↑ JG Williams (1967): Mammals and Rare Birds in the National Parks of East Africa . Paul Parey Publishing House, ISBN 3-490-089189 .
- ↑ Kenya in 1898 - Löwenduo killed fewer people than expected . Spiegel-Online November 3, 2009.
- ↑ Lonely Planet (EDITORIAL): Watching Wildlife East Africa (Lonely Planet Watching Wildlife East Africa) . Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; Edition: 2 (September 1, 2009), (1st edition 2002), ISBN 1-74104-208-9 .
- ^ R. Leakey & V. Morell (2002): Wildlife - A life for the elephants . S. Fischer Verlag, ISBN 3-10-043208-8 .
- ^ R. Trillo (2003): Kenya - Stefan Loose Travel Handbooks , 4th ed. DuMont Reiseverlag, ISBN 3-7701-6114-9 .