Elephants in Ol Pajeta

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a leading “not-for-profit” wildlife conservancy in the Laikipia District of Kenya and the largest sanctuary for black rhinos in East Africa.

Mission statement: “The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development. Working closely with the Government of Kenya, our conservation activities are carried out to the highest international standards.”

 The revenue generating enterprises include world-class wildlife tourism and a fully integrated livestock production system. All surplus internally generated revenues are used in conjunction with donor funds to support an extensive community outreach programs and to sustain conservation initiatives beyond Ol Pajeta boundaries.

In summary, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy aims to grow as a monetarily self-sustaining and innovative model that achieves conservation in a manner that produces substantial social benefits at both at the local and national level.

Conservancy Work

Working at a landscape level, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy aims to secure habitat for the purposes of wildlife conservation. In particular Ol Pejeta works to conserve the highly endangered black rhino and is now the Largest Black Rhino Sanctuary in East Africa. As an integral part of the Laikipia/Samburu ecosystem, Ol Pejeta is home to the “Big Five” and carries one of the highest wildlife densities in Kenya.

Ol Pajeta Morani

Community Development

Through business enterprises and with the help of willing donors (both large and small) the Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to develop the funding necessary to pay for our wildlife conservation work, and to provide financial assistance to projects that assist the people living within the neighboring communities.

By the end of 2007, Ol Pejeta Conservancy had raised and dispersed over 1 million US$ in support of its community development programs. The conservancy works with the local government and elected community representatives across the district to identify projects that qualify for assistance from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

All deserving projects supported are assessed on a case by case basis, and must represent some form of contribution to the community. The community development efforts intend to concentrate on the following core areas: health, education, water, roads, provision of agriculture and livestock extension services and the development of community-based conservation tourism ventures.

Based on regular socio-economic surveys, the conservancy aims to provide the necessary support required to address real needs and to make a real difference to the lives of the people who live nearby. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy welcomes support from willing donors to assist in the following areas: Education, Health, Water, Roads, Agriculture and Livestock Extension, Community-Based Tourism among others.

Chimpanzee in Olpajeta

Safari on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The ultimate Kenyan holiday experience!

Situated between the foot hills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy boasts an amazing variety of wildlife including all the “Big Five” (the endangered black and white rhino , leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion) as well a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees, the only one in Kenya.

While visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, you will be accommodated in one of the five luxurious properties:

SWEETWATERS TENTED CAMP

Offers the finest quality tented accommodation, overlooking a large watering hole backed by a spectacular view of Mount Kenya.

Activities of Interest • Bird walks • Morani and the visitor’s centre • Chimpanzee sanctuary and information centre • Camel rides • Day game drives • Night game drives • Walking safaris • The ereri multi-cultural manyatta • Rhino patrols

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OL PEJETA HOUSE

Offers large luxurious rooms, a stunning garden with watering hole, and two swimming pools .

Activities and Facilities: Day & Night Game drives, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Visits to Morani Information Centre, Safari sundowners, Bush luncheons and dinners, Nature walks in the company of our resident naturalist, Bird watching, Camel rides, Lion tracking and Beauty treatments

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OL PEJETA BUSH CAMP

Situated on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River this small bush camp will offer guests the opportunity for interactive conservation safaris.

Activities Available:  • Day and night game drives • Guided bush walks • Meet Ol Pejeta Researchers and learn about wildlife data and monitoring • Monitor Elephant, Rhino and other wildlife with resident rangers and researchers • Use radio-tracking equipment, e.g. to find the resident cheetah ‘Toki’ (featured in BBC documentary ‘Toki’s Tale’) Track lion with the Ol Pejeta predator-monitoring ranger • Track Rhino (by special request only, max 2 guests per patrol) • Visit ‘Baraka’(a blind black rhino), observing him at close range at the rhino/wildlife treatment centre • Take part in training walks with the Ol Pejeta tracker bloodhounds • Learn about the special techniques of ‘conservation agriculture’ practiced on the ranch • Learn about Boran and Ankole cattle pastoral care, and pioneering integration techniques with wildlife • Watch wildlife from a hide overlooking a waterhole, or even spend an exciting night there (with dinner, drinks, bedding, and night-vision monoculars). • Visit a local primary school or medical clinic supported by Ol Pejeta Conservancy

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PORINI RHINO CAMP

Hidden in a secluded valley and set amongst shady acacia trees on the banks of a seasonal river, the camp consists of six spacious guest tents, each comfortably furnished with en suite bathrooms.

Activities and Facilities  Available:  • Large Safari tents with a double and single bed, solar electric lights, en suite bathrooms with flush toilets and safari shower. • All meals and picnic lunches, free mineral water, sodas, gin & tonic, beer and house wine. • Custom built 4×4 safari vehicles for game drives. • Expert driver-guides. Morning, evening and night game drives in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. • Escorted walk with Maasai guides. • Sundowner drinks to watch the sunset from scenic viewing points. • Transfers from Nanyuki airstrip to Porini Rhino Camp.

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KICHECHE CAMP

The Laikipia Camp is a small luxurious tented camp, nestled at the foot of indigenous forest overlooking a waterhole. Its twelve guests will be hosted by the inimitable Andy and Sonja Webb.

Access and convinience

In Kenya today, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the closest place from Nairobi to see the Big Five – Approximately 3 hours scenic drive by road from Nairobi.

What are the Big Five?

The term Big Five was originally used by big-game hunters and refers to the five large mammals that were sought in Africa. The members of the big five were chosen not so much for their size but more because they were notoriously difficult to hunt (which is why the leopard is on the list and the enormous hippopotamus is not). The term has remained and is still used in African safaris.

The Big Five consists of the lion, the African elephant, the African Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros (either the black rhinoceros or the white rhinoceros).

Night Game Drives

Due to The Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s private status it is able to offer the unique pleasure of night game drives.

Night game drives last approximately two hours and are your opportunity to see some nocturnal wildlife on Ol Pejeta. The night game drives are a very enjoyable experience: you will travel in an open game drive vehicle with very knowledgeable guides. During the drives, your tracker uses a powerful spotlight searching for the nocturnal animals.

Expect to see a wide variety of animals not normally seen during the day, including aardvarks, bat-eared fox, porcupines, bushbabies, bushbucks, mongoose, genet cats and a number of nocturnal birds.