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    Ol Pejeta Conservancy
    Lengai101 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

    Kenya

    Ol Pejeta Conservancy

    Point of Interest

    Ol Pejeta is a non-profit Wildlife Conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau directly west of Nanyuki, covering approximately 360 square kilometers and straddling the equator.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Kenya
    7. Mount Kenya, Laikipia & Samburu
    9. Ol Pejeta Conservancy
    Ol Pejeta is a non-profit Wildlife Conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau directly west of Nanyuki, covering approximately 360 square kilometers and straddling the equator. It is considered East Africa's largest sanctuary for black rhinos and the last refuge for northern white rhinos.In addition to the Big Five, rescued chimpanzees live here in the Sweetwaters Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya where you can see these great apes.

    Sights in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Ol Pejeta Rhino Cemetery
    Point of Interest

    1Ol Pejeta Rhino Cemetery

    A memorial under an acacia tree for rhinos killed by poachers within the Conservancy opened on World Rhino Day 2014. Stone gravestones with bronze plaques list names, species, and circumstances of death; here also lies Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino, who died in 2018.
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    Restaurants in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

    History and Nature Conservation

    From Cattle Farm to ConservancyFrom 1949, Ol Pejeta was a cattle farm; later owners included businessman Adnan Khashoggi. In 1988, Lonrho opened the Sweetwaters Game Reserve as a sanctuary for black rhinos. In 2004, Fauna & Flora International purchased the land with a donation from the Arcus Foundation.RhinosIn 2013, the 100th black rhino was born here. Ol Pejeta also hosts the last Northern White Rhinos, brought here from the Czech Zoo Dvůr Králové. The last male, Sudan, was euthanized in March 2018. The species can now only be saved through artificial insemination and surrogate mothers; the Conservancy publishes the latest status.Sweetwaters Chimpanzee SanctuaryThe sanctuary was established in 1993 together with the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Jane Goodall Institute, after a rescue center in Burundi had to close due to the civil war. The animals were rescued from the illegal pet trade and bushmeat hunting in West and Central Africa.

    Practical Info

    Entry and ArrivalOl Pejeta, as a private Conservancy, charges its own daily fees, which are not handled by the KWS. The Conservancy lists the current rates on its website. The Conservancy is located directly west of Nanyuki.ActivitiesGame drivesVisit the chimpanzee sanctuary, open mornings and afternoons as per operatorsLion tracking, night drives, and guided bush walksExhibition at the Morani Information CentreSafetyBefore your trip, check the current travel and safety advisories from the UK FCDO, linked on the country page.

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    Nearby

    Nanyuki

    Nanyuki

    Nanyuki is a market town in Laikipia County at the western foot of Mount Kenya, whose southern part is crossed by the Equator. It is the base for tours up the mountain and for safaris in Ol Pejeta and the other conservancies of the Laikipia Plateau.British settlers settled here in 1907. Today, markets, lodges on the outskirts, and handicrafts characterize the town of over 70,000 inhabitants.
    Mount Kenya, Laikipia & Samburu

    Mount Kenya, Laikipia & Samburu

    North of Nairobi, the land rises towards Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest mountain. Around the summit are national parks with mountain forest and moorland, private conservancies on the Laikipia Plateau, and further north the dry reserves of Samburu and Shaba, home to animals rarely seen in southern Kenya.The market town of Nanyuki, on the Equator, is a practical starting point for mountain treks and game drives.
    Mount Kenya National Park

    Mount Kenya National Park

    The Mount Kenya National Park protects the high altitudes of Africa's second-highest mountain, just south of the Equator in central Kenya. Trekkers ascend via the Sirimon, Naro Moru, or Chogoria routes to the 4,985-meter-high Point Lenana, while the main peaks Batian and Nelion are reserved for climbers.Since 1997, the park and mountain forest have been UNESCO World Heritage. Above the mountain forest, you reach glacier remnants and mountain lakes like Lake Michaelson.
    Aberdare National Park

    Aberdare National Park

    The Aberdare National Park protects the highlands of the Aberdare Range between 2,000 and 4,000 meters, about 150 kilometers north of Nairobi near Nyeri. Misty mountain forest, moorland, and waterfalls such as the Karuru Falls characterize the park, which was founded in 1950.It became known for the Treetops tree lodge, where Elizabeth II became queen in 1952.
    Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

    Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

    Lewa is a private Wildlife Conservancy at the northern foot of Mount Kenya, south of Isiolo in Meru County, which originated from a Craig family cattle ranch. It protects more than twelve percent of Kenya's black rhinos and the world's largest single population of Grevy's zebra.Since 2013, Lewa, along with the adjacent Ngare Ndare Forest, has been part of the Mount Kenya UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Sources & method

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