The park authorities have been concerned for several years over the extent of the damage to the vegetation caused by elephant. It was not until the drought of 1961 when rhinoceros died in large numbers, that attention was focussed on this problem. Conditions of this drought were very severe. Near the Galana river there was no grass, most of the trees had been smashed and the herbs and shrubs were eaten down to stumps. The rhinoceros, having a restricted permanent browsing territory, was dependenton areas near permanent water, which were the very parts which suffered most devastation by elephant. It seemed probable that rhino were suffering from competition with elephant for food, and were dying of malnutrition.
Area of some 5000 sq.miles, roughly midway between Nairobi and Mombasa. Most of the park is flat country, between 1000 and 2000 feet above sea level, with small isolated rocky hills. It is traversed by two permanent rivers, the Tsavo and the Athi-Galana, and several seasonal rivers, the Tiva and Voi being most important. Geologically the greater part of the area lies on basement system rocks, but the Yatta Plateau is of Tertiary-recent volcanic origin. In most parts the soil is dark red sandy loam, with stretches of `black cotton' in areas of impeded drainage. Rainfall is low and very variable.
