MZIMA SPRINGS

These crystal clear pools are a favorite hangout for hippos and crocodiles. The main attraction is a submerged viewing tank which was designed so that people could watch the hippo’s antics underwater, but since it was built the hippos have retreated shyly to the side of the pool. The good news is that you get a great view of the fish. The underground water that feeds the pools filters up through the volcanic rock of the Chyulu hills and it is linked by pipeline to Mombasa, supplying most of the town’s water.

Mzima forms a haven for a rich wildlife pageant with elephant soaking half immersed in the waters, light footed but ponderous looking 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 think acacias and raffia palms together with hundreds of chattering monkeys and birds. Mzima is also the main source of Mombasa’s water supply.

Ngulia hills

Not far from Mzima Springs, along a well-marked track, lies the precipitous magnificence of the Ngulia escarpment at the foot of Ngulia Hills which rise to 1825 m. Each year from late September to November, Ngulia has become the base of unique phenomenon.

It has become one of the bird wonders of the world and provides vital information on the migratory routes and the habits of many species common to the northern hemisphere.

It is 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 hour wheel drive track leads to this peak-shaitani from the Chyulu gates near Kilaguni Lodge and it is simple to walk to the cave on the side of volcano. It is 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 favorite haunt of bird’s watchers in the lake area is a small herd of Grevy’s zebra, translocate from northern Kenya in 1977.

Mammals

Tsavo National Park is one of the world's largest game reserves, providing undeveloped wilderness home to vast numbers of animals. Famous are the Tsavo lions, a population of lions, where the adult males often lack manes entirely. In total there are about 675 lions in the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem.

A comprehensive list of the animal types found in Tsavo National Park includes the aardwolf, yellow baboon, bat, cape buffalo, bush-baby, bushbuck, caracal, African wildcat, cheetah, African Civet, dik-dik, African hunting dog, African dormouse, Blue Duiker, bush duiker, Red duiker, eland, African elephant, bat-eared fox, greater galago, gazelle, large-spotted Genet, small-spotted genet, gerenuk, giraffe, African hare, springhare, Coke's hartebeest, hunter hartebeest, East African hedgehog, spotted hyena, striped hyena, rock hyrax, tree hyrax, impala, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, klipspringer, Lesser Kudu, leopard, lion, banded mongoose, dwarf mongoose, Egyptian Mongoose, Marsh Mongoose, slender mongoose, White-tailed Mongoose, black faced vervet monkey, Sykes' monkey, fringe-eared oryx, clawless otter, ground pangolin, crested porcupine, cane rat, giant rat, naked mole rat, ratel, bohor reedbuck, black rhinoceros, serval, spectacled elephant shrew, bush squirrel, East African red squirrel, striped ground squirrel, Unstriped Ground Squirrel, suni, warthog, waterbuck, common zebra and Grevy's zebra.