Tsavo consists of 2 national parks - Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park - split by the main Nairobi-Mombassa highway. Tsavo East, the larger of the two, lies to the east of the Nairobi–Mombasa road, equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa, and offers a vast and untapped arena of arid bush which is washed by azure and emerald meandering of Galana River. Guarded by the expanses of the Yatta plateau The Park is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Hippo, Crocodile, Waterbuck, Lesser Kudu, Gerenuk and Hirola. Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the parks. With a good road network, infrastructure and accommodation options ranging from camping to luxury lodges, Tsavo is very popular with both visitors to Kenya and residents.