Kenya










Kipepeo Butterfly Farm

Kipepeo Butterfly Farm:
Next to the entrance to Gedi ruins, is the most important butterfly farm in Kenya, called Kipepeo, meaning “butterfly” in Swahili. This facility deserves an honour among the best practices of suitable growth. Prior to its starting, there was strong opposition among the inhabitants, to the preservation of a forest that reverted no rewards to them and stood as a stumbling block to the economic growth of the area. The forest was under a serious threat and the per capita income of the farmers was so meagre.
In the year 1993, the East African Natural History Society and the National Museums of Kenya came together to launch the Kipepeo project, intended to protect the forest, help in the preservation of its scarce butterfly species and at the same time, promote the increase of the local economy.

The idea was crystal clear. Local farmers tantamounting to 150, were trained, were trained to look after butterfly larvae giving them the native trees’ leaves as food. Kipepeo raises the eggs and supplies the newly hatched larvae to the farmers, who look after the caterpillars and sell the pupae back to Kipepeo. The farm generates the adult butterfly for export to Europe and America, either as conserved specimens for museum collections or as insects living for other farms or displays. The farm’s skilful workers have checked the lack of bad effects of this activity on the wild butterflies’ numbers. Today, the farmers have an everlasting source of income and are in for the preservation of the forest.

There are three houses open to the public at Kipepeo. The first one has the females that lay their eggs on the leaves of the plants they feed on. The second one has the net cages where the larvae grow from. Lastly, in the third house, the male flap among the visitors.
The farm is open everyday from 8:00am to 5:00am.

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Section: national-parks |