Kitum Cave, Natural cave in Mount Elgon National Park, Kenya
Kitum Cave is a cave in Mount Elgon National Park in Kenya, reaching two hundred meters deep into the volcanic rock. The walls shine in some places due to salt deposits that attract many animals and have shaped the rock surface over thousands of years.
The cave formed during volcanic activity at Mount Elgon several million years ago and has been used by wildlife for a long time. In the 1980s, researchers studied bat populations here after disease cases appeared in the region.
The name Kitum comes from the Sabaot language and still reminds visitors how closely people in this region connect with the mountain. Hikers often hear local stories about animals that come at night to lick and scrape the walls.
The trail to the cave leads through dense forest, so sturdy shoes and weatherproof clothing are worthwhile. A local guide knows the safest routes and shows where animals have left their traces.
Elephants regularly come here to break salt from the walls with their tusks, creating deep grooves in the rock. These traces show how animal behavior has altered the shape of the cave over a long period.
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