Click to Create your Own SAFARI

KAKAMEGA TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

Kakamega Tropical Rain Forest is Kenya's remaining patch of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. 

At an altitude of 1,400-2,300 meters (4,000-7,000 ft.) and encompassing an area of 240 sq.  kms, it is world-famous for its diversity of bird and insect life.  Up to 20% of all Kenyan plant and animal species occur only here, including 75% of all butterflies.  Some of the butterflies include the Regal and Broad Green-banded Swallowtails, the Black-tipped Diadem, the Forest Mother of Pearl, and Hobart’s Red Glider - the only scarlet butterfly in the Forest - plus the genus Charaxes which contains the fastest flying butterflies in Africa.

Other insects are the Goliath Beetle, Stick Insects and Fire Flies.  There are over 350 species of birds among them the flamboyant Great Blue Turaco, gemlike Emerald Cuckoo and the cacophonous Black-and-white casqued Hornbill. 

Several primate species are also present such as the Black and White Colobus Monkey, Blue Monkey, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed Monkey, and the rare De Brazza's Monkeys. Other animals include Giant Forest and Flying Squirrels, mongooses, civets, servals, genets, smaller antelope such as duikers and numerous species of bats (the Hammer-headed Fruit Bat is endemic to the Forest, and is the largest bat on the African continent with a wing span of almost one metre and a huge head). 

Plants, and especially orchids, are found in extremely high diversity.  Over 380 species of plant have been identified in Kakamega Forest.  There are over 150 documented species of woody trees, shrubs and vines, and 170 species of herbs, of which 60 are orchids.  Nine of these orchids are only found in Kakamega rainforest. In addition, there are 62 species of ferns.  Kakamega Forest receives approximately 200 centimetres of rain a year.