Chagga-Mzungu is supporting a search for a herd of reclusive Forest Elephant. If found an identified then we may have found the only Forest Elephant in East Africa where they have never been recorded before.
John Baruti, our naturalist doing this research and talking to all the Mzee in the region. He informs that many said the ‘Tembo Fupi’ – (the short elephant) as in the photo have been seen but not for a long time. It may be that they have gone deeper into the forest and are more reclusive given the new villages that have sprung up in this remote area. John will continue his search while the weather lasts, once the rains come he has to postpone until next year. The remote thick jungle forest that could be the home of a Tanzanian Forest elephant encircles an isolated and very steep mountain. It is a beautiful wild place, with hornbills and monkeys.
The photograph of the ‘fupi tembo’ – the Forest elephant was taken circa 1955 – this is the forest John is now exploring. While it has been many years since that photograph was taken, Africa has a lot of mysteries..
We wish John good luck.
