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Dupoto Forest, the Elephant Haven

Category: Maasai People, Wildlife | Date: Sep 18 2007 | By: admin

Right now we are doing dog vaccination around forest called Dupoto. People are busy surviving in the Trans Mara. All the forest I have been in the past had signs of human activities (cutting of wood for house building, firewood, charcoal), but this particular forest is beautiful untouched forest. It is a forest reserve started by Maasai elders in the early 90’s and now it has passed onto younger generation. The forest is so deep, you can walk for two days and reach the Trans Mara capital town of Kilgoris without seeing a break in the forest. I took a walk with my friend couple of weeks ago in Dupoto. Elephant tracks were all over the place (dung, feeding marks on tree trunks, place where they rested). The Maasai guy tells me that this is one of the most important breeding ground for the elephants. Excellent bird life too. We saw so many birds, even rare birds like Ross Turaco. Although this place is an absolute beauty here in Trans Mara, the young Maasai are crying out for more publicity to attract tourists so they can generate income from the forest. Yes, not many tourists visits here. Perhaps, no one knows that this forest exists since it is almost 25km from the reserve. Unfortunately, something which does not generate income tend to disappear in real life and I really hope that younger generation Maasai would not lose interest in protecting this precious forest for price for farming and charcoal…

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9 Responses to “Dupoto Forest, the Elephant Haven”

F. J. PECHIR, on 18 Sep 2007

Thank you so much Asuka for this very interesting information. You are just right in think that Dupoto forest is almost unknown by outsiders. That´s very sad, but the good news is that the local people is still in a no-destructive mode towars the forest. I just can imagine the pristine beauty of the area, and hope you can give more information about the fauna and flora of the place. Congratulations for the work you are doing there, it´s just great!

Ann, on 18 Sep 2007

i’m sending email to Africa Geographic, which i have a subscription for, to ask if they can pay some attention to the Dupoto forest. the magazine has SO MANY ads for safari’s and tours into Africa, especially in and around Kenya, maybe Dupoto can participate somehow. i think though that the Massai there have to get proactive if they want tourism, like some other Massai groups have in Africa. Lewa and Laikipia are a couple of examples of this.

Wanda, Atlanta, on 18 Sep 2007

They probably have no equipment to get the word out so maybe thru this we can — you do some real interesting and wonderful stuff Asuka - way beyond being a Vet!!

asuka, on 19 Sep 2007

I will ask the guys at the Dupoto to come up with flora and fauna. My friend from Nairobi was supposed to come to check on the plant life there since she has good knowledge of the plants. Most guys at Dupoto know the flora by Maa (their language) but not in English. Regarding the fauna, I know that the elephants and leopards are abundant. Elephant from Dupoto comes wondering into forest behind my house in large number. Most of the boma around Dupoto got their dogs eaten by leopards and lots of livestocks are taken by leopards as well. Dogs are leopard snack around the forest, they got taste for domestic dogs. This place is too far from park to get compensation, some boma I visited were crying out that leopard had killed 30 sheeps (only 2 eaten, other 28 were just play kill). Thank you for your support everybody and lease let me posted on possibility of publicity for this forest.

F. J. PECHIR, on 19 Sep 2007

Thank you so much again Asuka for this information. Since this report come from a forest practically unknown by science, your comments are maybe the first about the local abundance of elephants and leopards. Good news for their high numbers, but bad news for the dogs.

asuka, on 20 Sep 2007

I told the Dupoto guys to bring more detail list, but here is what I have now (it was listed on old brochure of theirs). This is small part of the list and I am sure if detail survey is done one will find much more!

Mammals-Elephant, Buffalo, Bush Pig, Waterbuck, Impala, Leopard, Dik-dik, Oribi, Genet

Birds-Turaco, Trogon, Wood Hoopoe, Hornbill, several spp of Eagles, etc (more than 200 spp noted)

Plants- East African Olive, Diospyros, Wild Olive, Strangler Fig, Kenya Greenheart, Manilkara Butugi

I feel that these guys is tourism training. They are just local boys, who has never worked in tourism industry. They have a beautiful forest and great fauna/flora, but they do not know how to show their asset. And, tourism industry is unfortunately not my exterties.

asuka, on 20 Sep 2007

I mean, These guys NEED tourism training.

Jo Anne Jewell (JJ), on 04 Oct 2007

Jambo Asuka, love your post on the forest. There has to be a way we can get this out to the public. Only wish we could have seen it when we were there. But next year that will be on our list. Perhaps some good pictures of flora and fauna, and asking the different camps to offer a trip there for a fee. There are many bird watchers that may be thrilled to check this out. There are also many camps that move all the time such as the camps that stay outside the oloololo gate. That may be a great day trip for them.

asuka, on 04 Oct 2007

JJ-

Jambo sana! I am going to Dupoto tomorrow with my friend who got more botanical knowledge. I will try to take some photo when I am there!

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