Tsavo Railway Bridge

The Tsavo region of south-eastern Kenya is best known historically for events during the construction of the Kenya–Uganda Railway in 1898. As workers built a bridge over the Tsavo River, two maneless male lions killed a number of railway labourers over several months before they were finally shot by the project engineer, Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson, who later recounted the episode in his book "The Man-Eaters of Tsavo". The lions' remains are now held at the Field Museum in Chicago. The wider area was proclaimed as Tsavo National Park in 1948 and remains one of the largest protected wildlife areas in the world.

The man-eaters have since passed into legend, and the region carries a lingering reputation for unease among those who know the story. This atmosphere is a product of dramatic history and its retelling in books and film rather than of anything supernatural, and the events are best understood as a documented, if harrowing, chapter of the colonial railway era.

Today Tsavo's significance is primarily ecological. Divided into Tsavo East and Tsavo West, it protects vast landscapes of savanna, volcanic hills and rivers, and populations of elephant, lion and other wildlife, making it a cornerstone of Kenya's conservation and safari heritage.

Tsavo is a national park, split into Tsavo East and Tsavo West, managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service and open to visitors primarily for safari game drives rather than as a single monument. Access is through official park gates, and it is usually visited with a vehicle and often a guide or tour operator.

Park entry fees are payable in advance through the Kenya Wildlife Service's official electronic system, with accommodation ranging from lodges to campsites. As a wilderness area with dangerous wildlife, visitors must follow park rules, stay with vehicles where required, and heed ranger and operator guidance for safety.