Although relatively unknown, the Eburu forest is a precious mountain ecosystem rich in biodiversity and fascinating geology.
Overlooking Lake Naivasha to the southeast, Lake Elementaita to the North and Lake Nakuru to the Northwest, the Mau Eburu forest is nestled within the folds of an active volcano mountain. Its highest peak, Ol Doinyo Eburu, stands 2,820 metres above sea level.
Tourist attractions include steam jets, diverse forest types, steep valleys, springs, six nature trails and waterfalls.
At the highest point, one gets spectacular view of a forest canopy and the classic volcanic cone of Mt Longonot.
Douglas Chege, a tour guide in the Eburu forest, says the jewel has a lot to offer. He was born and brought up adjacent to the forest.
“This natural forest is rich in biodiversity. It is home to over 40 species of mammals, including the critically endangered Mountain Bongo antelope brown with beautiful white stripes," Chege told the Star.
About 12 animals, representing 10 per cent of its population known to exist in the wild, are thought to survive in this forest.
The forest features a broad variety of indigenous tree species, such as Prunus Africana (African cherry) and Juniperus procera (African pencil cedar), among others.
The forest is a magnet for for birdlife within the greater Mau Forests Complex with 188 species of birds found within the forest and adjacent areas.
Rhino Ark is also supporting the Bongo Surveillance Programme, a conservation initiative that seeks to protect the few bongos that remain in Eburu, giving them a fighting chance to survive in their home.
The team comprises experienced trackers from local communities.
They conduct regular patrols, gathering evidence of the Bongo's presence, removing snares and reporting illegal activities.
Photographic evidence of the species in Eburu Forest was collected by the Bongo surveillance unit in 2010.
They are believed to be fewer than 200 left globally.
The Mountain Bongo is found in parts of the Aberdares and Mt Kenya forests east of the Great Rift Valley, and in small numbers in the Mau Forest.
The Bongo is large, reddish-brown forest antelope with narrow white stripes (12-14) running vertically down its back. It has a dorsal mane that stands erect when the Bongo is alarmed.
The bright colour of the male becomes darker with age. Both males and females have lyre-shaped horns.
Those of males are stout, measuring approximately 75cm while those of females are slender. When in distress, they bleat.
Chege has been guiding in this forest for 10 years and is familiar with all tree species.
He says that he is fluent in more than five languages, which endears him to most tourists.
Among the dangerous wildlife in the forest are buffaloes.
“You have to know the characters of different wildlife if you are to be on the safe side. We normally look at their footprints, and droppings, and use common sense such as smell.
"We also have some birds that keep following wildlife such as buffaloes that normally give a clue of where they may be,” Chege says before leading us into one of the steam jets.
Chege says the sauna where the steam comes through the vent in the magma is about 70 degrees Celsius.
“We have many uses of the steam one of which is therapy. People are coming here to heal some skin disease,” Chege says.
Chege says the steam also can cure some respiratory diseases.
“Every weekend, we receive dozens of visitors here.”
Chege says the steam is composed of different gases such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
He says the sauna has attracted tourists from across the world.
“For the adults, we charge Sh500 and for children Sh250 for an hour,” he says.
Chege says the steam has also been trapped and its water is drunk by wildlife to quench their thirst.
He says Rhino Ark a local conservation NGO, has been supporting them to market some ecotourism activities in the forest for the adjacent community to earn a living.
Rhino Ark fence community manager Joseph Mutongo says they had to help the forest adjacent community to earn a livelihood after the forest was fenced off.
In the early 1980s, the forest was dense and home to hundreds of wildlife species.
It was destroyed in early 1990s.
This is because the forest is surrounded on all sides by human settlement, and it was impacted by illegal logging and charcoal burning.
The pressure heavily degraded and the wildlife decimated by bushmeat hunting.
Mutongo says Rhino Ark started an integrated conservation project in the Mount Eburu ecosystem, in the Mau escarpment, with a comprehensive electric fence around the entire protected forest of nearly 8,715 hectares in March 2013.
The 43km-long fence was completed in November 2014.
Today, the forest has 10 official gates to monitor those entering it.
The fence, which is maintained by a team of 12 from the Kenya Forest Service, is powered by solar energy.
The team has state-of-the-art equipment to monitor the status of the fence through the use of sensors.
Mutongo says the forest adjacent community had to be given sustainable ways of earning a living after the forest was fenced off.
“Some of these initiatives include honey production, the implementation of conservation education curricula in 32 forest-adjacent primary and secondary schools; capacity building of community groups through linkage with agricultural and other experts and alternative energy solutions to reduce dependency on forest extracted fuel wood,” Mutongo says.
Other initiatives include the development and implementation of a participatory forest management plan; support to the coordination of forest rehabilitation efforts; community outreach; and publishing of a guidebook to raise the profile of the forest and help develop it as a key tourism destination.
(Edited by V. Graham)