Caving in Uganda’s Mountain ELgon National Park, Kitum Cave of Mountain Elgon

Mountain Elgon National Park comprises of four major caves also referred to as lava tubes that are available for hiking and exploring and these include the Kitum, Chepnyalil, Mackingeny and Rongai caves.

In order to get to the caves, you must take on short trails to discover and spot them.

Kitum Cave

Kitum Cave is found in the tremendous Mt Elgon National Park along the border of Kenya and Tanzania. This became very prominent around the 1980s when two European visitors contracted the Marburg virus.

Various animals get here to feed on the sodium rich salts although; elephants are the most common animal here.

The cave is a non-solutional cave formed in pyroclastic (volcanic) rocks expanding approximately 200 metres (700 ft) into the slopes of the tremendous Mountain Elgon close to the border of Kenya and Uganda.

The cave walls are very rich in salt so wildlife animals have transferred to this place in search for salt for centuries. For the elephants in specific, use their tusks to break off pieces of the cave wall to chew and swallow.

The other animals that also visit the cave oftenly include the bushbuck, buffalo and hyenas. There is also bat guano deeper in the cave from fruit-eating and insectivorous bats and a deep crevasse into which young elephants fall and lose their lives.

Mackingeny Cave

Mackingeny Cave is the most beautiful of the caves with settlements of vast fruit bats and candid horseshoe bats towards the back.

On your trail, you will spot the spectacular waterfalls flowing across the entrance. Carry the appropriate foot wear so as not to get any inconveniences while trailing along the various routes.

These can also help you navigate over slippery muddy surfaces across the trails.