Visitors to Tsavo are often struck by the same thing before they even see an elephant: the soil. Rich orangey-red earth stretches across the savanna, staining everything it touches — from the trunks of baobabs to the hides of elephants. But what makes Tsavo’s soil red? The answer lies in geology, climate, and time.
The science of red soils
The famous red colour of Tsavo’s earth comes from iron oxides — the same compounds that make rust red. Over millions of years, rainfall and tropical heat leached away most of the soil’s nutrients. What remained was iron and aluminium, concentrated in a type of soil known as laterite.
What Are Laterites?
Laterites are soils that form in hot, tropical regions where heavy rainfall washes out most nutrients. The process leaves behind iron and aluminium, which harden into a distinctive red crust. Laterites are common across Africa and Asia, but Tsavo is a classic example of how they shape both landscapes and ecosystems.
Elephants in red
For elephants, the red soil of Tsavo is more than a backdrop — it’s a tool. They frequently coat themselves in mud and dust to protect their skin from the sun and biting insects. In Tsavo, that means elephants appear stained a deep red, sometimes leading visitors to wonder if they are a different subspecies.
Why Do Tsavo’s Elephants Look Red?
The colour is simply camouflage borrowed from the land itself. When elephants bathe or roll in Tsavo’s iron-rich soils, the dust sticks to their skin, giving them their iconic reddish appearance.
Why farming struggles in Tsavo
While the soils of Tsavo are visually striking, they are also nutrient-poor. With most of their fertility leached away, they lack the nitrogen and phosphorus needed for farming. Historically, this made Tsavo unattractive to agricultural expansion compared to the richer soils of central Kenya. Ironically, this limitation helped preserve the area for wildlife: land that could not easily be farmed was instead protected as one of Africa’s largest conservation landscapes.
A geological history
The red soils of Tsavo are the product of millions of years of weathering. High rainfall in past epochs, combined with tropical heat, stripped away soluble minerals, leaving only the resistant oxides of iron and aluminium. Seasonal wet and dry cycles then hardened these soils into a durable crust that still defines the landscape today.
How Tsavo’s Soils Compare to Other Parks
Tsavo’s deep-red lateritic soils make it unique, but other famous East African parks tell a very different story beneath the surface.
Amboseli – Volcanic Fertility in the Shadow of Kilimanjaro
Amboseli’s soils are largely volcanic in origin, fed by ancient eruptions from Mount Kilimanjaro and nearby volcanic systems. These dark, mineral-rich soils are far more fertile than Tsavo’s, supporting lush grasses during the rains. That fertility makes Amboseli an important grazing refuge for elephants, wildebeest, and zebra — and also explains why the area is much more contested for agriculture and livestock. Where Tsavo’s infertile laterites kept farming at bay, Amboseli’s rich volcanic soils have encouraged settlement right up to the park boundary, intensifying human-wildlife conflict.
Maasai Mara – Fertile Black Cotton Soils
The Maasai Mara’s landscape is defined by its extremely fertile black cotton soils, rich in nutrients and highly productive for grass growth. These soils, derived from ancient volcanic activity, support lush grasslands that sustain immense herds of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope—fueling the Mara’s reputation as one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth.
But fertility comes with a catch. When wet, black cotton soils become heavy and sticky, trapping vehicles and making movement difficult even for wildlife. During the rains, entire tracks can turn impassable, a stark contrast to Tsavo’s dry, lateritic soils that, while less fertile, are far more navigable.
Compared to the Mara, Tsavo’s poorer soils support fewer grazers, but they encourage a different balance of wildlife. Where the Mara thrives on dense herds of grazers, Tsavo’s woody vegetation provides for browsers like elephants and giraffes, highlighting how soil alone can shape an ecosystem’s character.
Etosha – White Elephants of the Salt Pans
In Namibia’s Etosha National Park, elephants appear a very different colour to those in Tsavo. Instead of the deep reds of iron-rich soils, Etosha’s elephants often look pale or even ghostly white. This is because they dust and wallow in the park’s chalky soils and clay derived from its enormous salt pan. These mineral-rich deposits coat their skin in a white-grey layer, offering both camouflage and protection from the sun and insects.
Etosha’s soils also shape its vegetation. The alkaline, clay-heavy ground supports open grasslands dotted with mopane woodland. During the dry season, animals congregate around the saline waterholes where minerals concentrate, creating unique ecological dynamics. Compared to Tsavo’s infertile laterites, Etosha’s soils provide more mineral content but less productivity for dense vegetation, giving the park its characteristic open, stark landscapes.
Why Soils Matter for Conservation
Soils may not be as charismatic as elephants or lions, but they are the foundation of ecosystems. The type of soil determines what plants grow, which in turn supports the animals that feed on them. In Tsavo, infertile soils favour tough, drought-resistant vegetation. This makes it difficult for people to farm but perfect for elephants, giraffes, and antelope adapted to sparse vegetation.
The red soils of Tsavo are more than a striking feature — they are part of the story of why this place exists as a vast, protected wilderness. From the elephants that wear the soil on their skin to the plants that survive its harshness, Tsavo’s red earth shapes life at every level. By studying and understanding soils, we not only explain a colour but also deepen our appreciation of the ecosystem it supports.