In
1995 the Craig family turned their entire farm on the northern
slopes of Mt Kenya into the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, with a
mandate to protect and conserve the wildlife of Kenya. They had
to convince the local communities to stop seeing animals as
competition for their cattle's grazing and instead see them as a
source of income. This was achieved and many fences were taken
down and old migration routes were re-opened to the animals.
Lewa
Downs is now an area of outstanding natural beauty with the Lewa
River giving life to dense woodland and patches of open savannah
providing the perfect habitat for a whole range of Kenya's
animals.
Community development projects have also proved successful, and
nearby areas have benefited from the Conservancy 's experience
and support. Il Ngwesi is a 16,500 acre (6,677ha) group ranch,
which now includes a lodge, is owned and run by the Laikipiak
Maasai. All profits are returned to the community who are now
avid supporters of conservation.
Lewa
has developed a range of activities for its visitors, allowing
people to get actively involved in conservation and community
projects.
On
the wildlife side these include day and night game drives and
nature walks, horse and camel rides, visits to Lewa's orphaned
animals and horseback rhino patrol for experienced riders. You
can also accompany the lion tracker to collect data on the
resident lion population or head for the Ngare Ndare Forest
Reserve in search of black and white colobus monkeys. On the
education/community side you can visit schools, water schemes
and other community development projects or visit Lewa's
prehistoric archaeological site where stone hand axes are common
and date back approximately 800,000-1 million years.
Kenya
leads the way in the transformation of private farms into
wildlife reserves and the safari experience in these places is
quite unique. You are often hosted by the owners and welcomed to
a select lodge catering for a small number of guests. Your
guides are usually people who know the area intimately, which
gives a greater depth to the whole experience.
ANIMALS
& BIRDS
The
Conservancy has grown and now supports an impressive array of
wildlife, much of it indigenous to the area. The 45,000 acre
(18,211ha) area has more than 25% of the world's threatened
Grevy's zebra (there are approximately only 3,000 left). At the
end of 2002, eight new precious rhino calves were born (4 white
and 4 black rhino), bringing the steadily increasing numbers to
a healthy 32 indigenous black rhino and 33 white rhino.
There
are of course a host of other animals native to this part of
East Africa including elephants and reticulated giraffe who have
bred so successfully, that the Conservancy was faced with an
over population and had to relocate some of them.
There
are thought to be only about 50 shy aquatic sitatunga antelope
in Kenya and Lewa Plains has about 20 living in the swampy
riverine areas of the reserve. Other antelope to be seen in some
numbers are eland, oryx, impala and waterbuck. Predators are not
here in great numbers but lion, leopard and hyena are around.
SEASONS
The
days are usually hot and dry and the nights quite cool. Typical
Kenya seasons go something like this:
Rainy
Season: The long hot and humid rainy period starts around April
and lasts until June, then the short rains come during the warm
months of November and December.
Dry
Season: January through to March are hot and dry, while July to
October are warm and dry. The warm dry season is the best for
game viewing and for personal comfort.
LEWA SPECIALITIES
•
Black and White rhino
•
Grevy's zebras
•
Aquatic sitatunga antelope
•
Rolling hills and riverine habitats
FACTS
Lewa
is malaria-free
Lewa
is situated at 4,500 to 6,500 feet (1,400-2,000 meters) above
sea level.
Lodges in Lewa Wildlife
Conservancy:
Kenya