Mount Elgon
National Park
East Africa (transboundary)Designated in 19681,279 km²
An extinct volcano with the largest intact caldera in the world; its caves were dug out over generations by elephants seeking salt
Area
1,279 km²
Protection category
IUCN II
Parque nacional —
Designated in
1968
Declared on the Kenyan side in 1968 (its Ugandan counterpart followed in 1993), Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano with the largest intact caldera in the world, almost 8 km across. Its volcanic caves, Kitum among them, have been dug out and enlarged over generations by herds of elephants that walk into total darkness to prise mineral salt deposits off the rock walls with their tusks — behaviour documented in very few places anywhere.
Location
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Mount Elgon: 15 documented species
Mammals11Birds3Reptiles1
Threatened:
Flora and ecosystems
Ecosystems found in Kenya, where Mount Elgon lies.
SavannahDesertMarine / coastal
Experiences in this park
Birdwatching
Wildlife you can see now
What is worth looking out for this month in Kenya?
Now is a good time: Great Migration: the Mara River crossing (July to October)
Now is a good time: Great Migration: the Mara River crossing (July to October)
Similar parks
Which other parks are like this one?
Same country: Kenya
Same country: Kenya
Same country: Kenya
Same country: Kenya
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about this park.
Comments
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