Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a prominent wildlife haven and a valuable conservation site for wildlife in Kenya, the conservancy is listed among the best places to visit for a wildlife safari in Kenya and see a remarkable diversity of wildlife animals including some vulnerable and practically extinct species.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy was found in 1988 as a game ranch and in 2004 it as converted into a non-profit wildlife conservation area, currently the conservancy covers a total area of 360 square kilometers.

It is situated on the lower slopes between Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountain ranges, the conservancy is a habitat to the remaining two world Northern White rhinos, in March of 2018 the Northern male White rhino – the last of its kind died in Ol Pejeta and this is when the Northern White rhino was practically considered an extinct white rhino subspecies.

Location of Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is located and found in Kenya on the Laikipia Plateau flatlands, close to the town of Nanyuki in the Laikipia district. The conservancy lies in the Northern about 217 kilometers from Nairobi the capital city of Kenya and in the North Eastern about 17 kilometers from Lake Nakuru national park. From Nairobi, it takes approximately 17 kilometers (2 to 3 hours) by road, the conservancy also rests at the equator.

Aim of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy was formed to safe guard big numbers of vulnerable and rare species, the conservancy is also at the frontline of Kenya’s wildlife conservation.  the objective of Ol Pejeta conservancy is to serve as an independent financial organization that acts as an example of creativity in both community outreach and conservation. the conservancy seeks to conserve different wildlife in a manner that raises tangible welfare benefits for the local communities around the area and throughout Kenya. As a way of reaching its goals, Ol Pejeta Conservancy manages a program for wildlife tourism together with an education center for conservation plus a joined livestock system of production.

Wildlife Found in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Through visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy you will be able to access the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary that was launched by the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Jane Goodall Institute and KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) in 1993.  In the conservancy, there are corridors its boundaries that allows one to freely move between the greater Samburu, the Laikipia and the Ol Pejeta Ecosystem.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy hosts over one thousand huge animals, the conservancy is a home to Jackson’s hartebeest, Grevy’s zebra and the endangered species of Boma including rhino species. The conservancy hosts over 300 elephant species, around 30 cheetahs, 67 lions, 60 hyenas, 20 leopards and a group of wildlife African dogs.

It also hosts minor predators like the bat eared fox, caracal, the several and the black-backed jackal, baboons, hippos, monkeys, giraffes, ostriches as well as aardvark. Antelopes like the Thomson’s gazelle, the Beisa oryx, the Grant’s gazelle, the impala, eland, waterbucks and over 300 bird species.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta Conservancy

 What to do in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

There are a lot of fascinating activities to do in Ol Pejata Conservancy while on your Kenya safari visit.

Have a one on one with Baraka – the black rhino

Baraka was among the intial rhinos to be born on the grounds of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, due to an infection from a fight he lost his eye and also got a cataract in the second eye and finally lost his sight completely. Baraka was later transferred to an enclosed 100 acre space from the wild o keep him safe because of the low survival probability he would face if he had stayed on his own with sight.

Today, Baraka is a representative for his fellow species and at the Ol Pejeta, Baraka is a well-known attraction. There is a platform for feeding Baraka that allows tourists to get a closer view and also have the opportunity of feeding him which is something you wouldn’t want to miss.

On a daily basis, Baraka receives visitors from 09:30 in the morning to 06:00 in the evening, he is fed thrice a day. Each visitor pays a fee to see Baraka which is included in the conservancy cost.

Tracking lions

Tracking lions is a unique experience to do in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, this unique experience is an interesting way of discovering more information relating to these beautiful animals. This way you are also contributing to towards the conservation project, the entire information collected during lion tracking is transferred to the Ol Pejeta department of Ecological Monitoring.

While on lion tracking, visitors are required to stay within their vehicles throughout the entire adventure. Visitors depart for lion tracking expeditions from 06:30 am to 9:00 am and from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm.

Meet the Chimpanzees in Sweetwaters Sanctuary

The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in 1993 from a joint coalition between the Kenyan Wildlife Services and the Jane Goodall Institute, the sanctuary was built as a haven for chimpanzees and it is the only solo site in Kenya from where one can see exotic chimpanzees.

The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary offers a permanent home with a natural setting, the sanctuary has more that forty or more chimpanzees that are safeguarded over an island. The sanctuary can only be accessed by boat.

Tour the Morani Information Center

The Morani Information Center provides visitors with a chance to study more regarding the various species of wildlife that reside in the Ol Pejeta from habitat to behavior to anatomy. Visiting the center gives you a deeper understanding as well of the everyday operations in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy that conserve wilderness and protect the wild animals.

The Morani Information Center can be accessed from 09:00 am to 5:00 pm every day, visiting the center is free.

Encounter the Endangered Rhinos of Ol Pejeta

Visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers visitors an opportunity to see the endangered species of Boma, visitors get to know and understand more information on the Northern White rhinos that are severely threatened with two of them being the only ones left throughout the world.

Black and white rhinos are situated in the conservancy and tourists can experience a chance of getting close and seeing them one on one. In Ol pejeta conservancy, there are two black rhinos, six southern white rhinos, there are also many jackson’s hartebeests and Grevy’s zebras in the boma.

The tour begins at 2:45 pm and the tour takes close to 2 hours.

Where to stay in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Accommodations in Ol Pejeta Conservancy include

  • Pelican House
  • Kicheche Laikipia Camp
  • Sweetwaters Serena Camp
  • Mutara Camp
  • The Stables
  • The Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
  • Porini Rhino Camp
  • Ol Pejeta House
  • Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages
book a trip