In the travel and hospitality trades it is often joked that the globally known destination of the Elephant Caves at Mount Elgon National Park gives new meaning to the term “salt lick” These caves provide these gentle giants with the life essential mineral salt. Not only that but for the visiting traveler and tourist they offer a “once in a lifetime” wildlife watchers to be the witness of this most rare animal phenomenon in the wildlife kingdom.

In the animal kingdom many pant eating; non meat eating creatures experience or develop what is known in animal husbandry circles as “salt hunger”. Since the diet of strictly plant eating herbivores does not fully nourish and supply them with adequate nutrients and minerals – specifically in this case salt (chemically sodium chloride), they are hence forced to eel out an alternate source for intake. Sodium chloride (salt) seems to be the only real mineral those mammals – humans as well as animals must ingest in their diet. Hence these elephants are forced – as a matter of nature and course to seek out a substitute entirely different source from their daily meals of grazing. Ranchers have known for eons – since the time of simple shepherds and shepherding those salt licks left out for their flocks attract animals in the wild such as deer. Indeed in many safari parks, the official government park and forest rangers provide salt licks for the animals, and they make good spots to watch for vegetarian animals, even herds as they congregate around and along them. On top of that if this does not offer enough of a world class tourism spectacle, sometimes the predators are not too far off for a quick and deadly hunt and feast of their own.

In Mount Elgon National Park, the elephants have found their own source of salt. Most of the people – many tourists from abroad come to view the amazing world class view of more than 100 individuals who every night venture in convoy and indeed convoys into the seemingly vast caves within the volcanic underground of this ancient caldera to lick the natural salt rich deposits caused basically by Egon’s high rainfall from the heavens leaching the soil from the rock. Many of those who as travelers and vacationers have traveled far distances are just astounded by what they see and observe. Most would not have missed the scene for the world.

There are basically four caves all in all Kitum, Makingeni, Chepnyalil and Ngwarisha, each and every one of which can actually and safely be explored and travailed. Kitum is the largest and extends 660 feet (200 meters) into the very depths of the mountain and mountain sides.

Spotted hyenas and other forms of “wildlife” can be seen sheltering in the more remote caves as well as the leopard cats which creep more than watchfully in the surrounding dense vegetation near their entrances always hoping to catch that next meal – and source of nutrition – unawares.

For worldwide travelers Mount Elgon is indeed a trip to be relished and not missed on any itinerary to Uganda or Kenyan safaris. The area is best viewed from the Endebess Bluff where visitors and those on their vacations and holidays can get a vast panoramic view of the many gorges, lakes, mesas, rivers and hot springs that lie in the shadow and shadows of the mountain peaks. Pleasant dreams and happy trails.

Author Bio: Tommy I Vestore Choice Theme Hotels Mainstay Airport Hotels Theme Hotel Rooms