A Guide To Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a mosaic of grass plains, wooded grassland, Acacia woodland, and evergreen thicket extending over 90,000 acres (360 km2). It is one of the only wildlife protection areas home to a large number of endangered species, including the Big Five and non-indigenous chimpanzees.
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000-acre (360 km2) not-for-profit wildlife conservancy in Central Kenya’s Laikipia County. Ol Pejeta Conservancy, East Africa’s Largest Black Rhino Sanctuary, is situated at the foothills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes, and generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development.
About Ol Pejeta Conservancy
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is one of the only wildlife protection areas home to a large number of endangered species. In addition to the Big 5, more than a thousand other mammals and bird species roam the wild. The Conservancy boasts the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and reached a population milestone of 100 black rhinos in 2013. It also houses the three remaining northern white rhinos in the world, who were transferred here from Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic.
The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary is situated here and provides a sanctuary for orphaned, abandoned, and rescued chimpanzees. It is the only place in Kenya where these great apes can be seen. The Conservancy is host to the “Big Five game” among a large selection of other African animals, which makes it a popular safari destination. It also operates a successful livestock program, local pastoralists, and wildlife.
Through the conservancy’s community development program, Ol Pejeta provides funding to surrounding communities to aid health, education, water, and infrastructure projects. They also support the provision of agriculture and livestock extension services and the development of community-based conservation tourism ventures.
History of Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta began its life as a cattle ranch. Bought in the 1940s by the prominent British settler Lord Delamere, it flourished for many years as a successful beef ranch under several owners, including for a time the infamous arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. However, in the late 1960s things were about to change, as Kenya suffered a severe poaching problem.
As wildlife populations in particular rhinos, and elephants faced severe decline, the then owner Lonrho Africa realized the urgency, and in 1988 founded Sweetwaters Game Reserve adjacent to the ranch. Also, in 1992, the renowned Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary was built for chimpanzees rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.
However, the threat of losing Ol Pejeta to agricultural development was never far away. In 2003, some quick thinking and action by Flora and Fauna International, a generous benefactor, and other partners led to its purchase, securing its future as the Ol Pejeta Conservancy we know today.
Thereafter in the 2000s, the community development programme was founded, with education scholarships and later livelihoods support. In 2009, Ol Pejeta was honored to obtain the last four northern white rhinos, with the hope that a more natural environment might encourage reproduction.
In 2014, Ol Pejeta also achieved IUCN green list status, one of only five conservancies in Africa to do so, acknowledging the importance of the landscape in Africa, and Kenya. Currently, Ol Pejeta holds the largest single population of eastern black rhinos in Kenya and is performing with partners to rescue the northern white rhinos from extinction.
Things to See at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Wildlife
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy is home to over 40 chimpanzees, 88 endangered black rhinos, 5 endangered white rhinos, elephants, lion, leopards, buffalo, grevy zebra, giraffe, cheetah, Thomson’s gazelle, black-back jackals, ostrich, grant’s gazelle, baboons, waterbuck, oryx, eland, and several hundred bird species.
Baraka, a Black Tamed Rhino
- Baraka was the first rhino to be born in the wild on Ol Pejeta, aptly named Baraka meaning blessings in Swahili. He is now totally blind due to a fight with another rhino which lost him an eye and then sadly he developed a crystallized cataract in the other which is beyond repair.
- His disability has meant that he could not be returned to the wild. It is for this reason that the Ol Pejeta Conservancy has created a feeding platform from which visitors can feed Baraka three times a day.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy Activities
Game Drives
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers the unique pleasure of day and 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 to search for the nocturnal animals. Expect to see a wide variety of animals not normally seen during the day, including aardvarks, bat-eared foxes, porcupines, bushbabies, bushbucks, mongoose, genet cats, and several nocturnal birds.
Lion Tracking
- Guests are offered a unique opportunity to spend a morning with Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s predator research team. A few of the lions have been fitted with radio collars, and you can accompany one of our specialized lion trackers as he searches for their signal.
- When pride is found, you can help identify individual lions by recording whisker patterns, scars, ear tears, and other characteristics. The data you collect goes straight to our ecological monitoring department and helps us find solutions to the challenges facing Laikipia’s lions.
The Cultural Manyatta on Ol Pejeta
- Conservancy allows visitors to experience “up close” the daily lives and activities of various nomadic Kenyan tribes. The Manyatta also provides an income opportunity for the community that lives there.
- Wildlife and cattle integration is a practice being successfully undertaken at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Cattle graze in the conservancy in a controlled and well-presented manner and are kept at night in predator-proof “bomas”.
Ol Pejeta Junior Rangers
- Children aged between 4 and 12 years can become an Ol Pejeta Junior Ranger for a day by purchasing one of the exciting Junior Ranger Packs. The pack includes an activity booklet, crayons and stickers all contained within a special Ol Pejeta bag.
- As you journey through the Conservancy, the idea is to work through all of the questions and games in the booklet. At the end of your journey, the Tourism Team at Morani Information Center will be waiting for you and will ask you to repeat the official ranger oath, before presenting you with a ranger hat, a certificate, and an honorary pin.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy Entrance Fee
East African Citizen
- Adult Ksh 1,100
- Child Ksh 550
- Student Groups Ksh 275
East African Resident
- Adult Ksh 2,200
- Child Ksh 1,100
- Student Groups Ksh 550
Non-Resident
- Adult USD 85
- Child USD 42
- Student Groups USD 21
How to get to Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is located 270 kilometers from Nairobi. Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s (Sweetwaters Game Reserve) main gate is 14 kilometers from the equator turn-off, just before Nanyuki town. Visitors can also enter via Serat Gate on the Rumuruti road.
By road
- The drive to Ol Pejeta from Nairobi takes about 3-4 hours. The road from Nairobi to Nanyuki is tarmacked, and the last 13 kilometers to Ol Pejeta is dirt. From Nakuru/ Naivasha; it is best to take the road via Nyahururu and Nyeri to enter Ol Pejeta through Nanyuki.
- About 6.5km after Nanyuki airstrip, there is a sign to Ol Pejeta on the left, and it is signposted to Rongai Gate. 4×4 vehicles are essential in the rainy season. Note that the road around the west and north of the Conservancy is only practicable with a large 4WD and very difficult in wet conditions.
By air
- There are daily scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport to Nanyuki Airstrip, which is a 45-minute drive from Ol Pejeta. Air Kenya and Safarilink both offer services to Nanyuki from Nairobi. A
- ll accommodation providers on Ol Pejeta can arrange a transfer to and from the airstrip. It is also possible to charter a flight from any other wildlife conservancy or airstrip, into Ol Pejeta’s airstrip (currently only open to charter flights).
Ol Pejeta Conservancy Accommodation
When visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, you will be accommodated in one of our five luxurious facilities.
Sweetwaters Serena Camp
It is located in a private conservancy with a higher wildlife-to-area ratio than any of Kenya’s national parks making Sweetwaters Serena Camp one of the best tented safari camps in Kenya. Sweetwaters Serena Camp offers a charming blend of under-canvas ambiance and Kenyan safari luxury.
Located on the plains of Mount Kenya, the camp features thirty-nine luxury tents, each with its own private veranda overlooking the water hole. The central Rhino Restaurant is housed in the former manager’s house of this once-colonial farm and offers both regional and international cuisine.
Facilities
- Day and night game drives daily
- Luxury tented camp accommodation
- Swimming pool and extensive grounds
- Central Rhino Restaurant
- Private waterhole and night viewing bar
- Conference room
- Wedding planning and honeymoon venue
- Gift shop, business center, Wi-Fi
- Satellite TV room
- Camel treks, guided nature walks, bird spotting
- Cultural dance and music
Ol Pejeta House
Ol Pejeta House safari lodge is a hidden gem amidst the unspoiled majesty of the Kenyan wilderness. It is a beautiful private house set within the pristine calm of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Ol Pejeta House is located a short distance from Sweetwaters Serena Camp.
Accommodation
- 2 superior guest rooms with ensuite bathrooms and a dressing room
- 2 standard guest rooms with double bed, ensuite with bathroom and terrace
- Buffalo Cottage with 2 Deluxe Rooms and a Fireplace
Porini Rhino Camp
Porini Rhino Camp is located within Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in a secluded valley and set amongst shady acacia trees on the banks of a seasonal river. Porini Camps are intimate bush camps that have a low carbon footprint and a focus on conservation and providing benefits to the local communities while providing guests with an authentic safari experience, away from the crowds.
Accommodation
- The camp consists of six spacious guest tents, each comfortably furnished with en suite bathrooms that have flush lavatories and safari showers. The camp is very environmentally friendly with solar-powered lighting and no generator.
Kicheche Camp
- Kicheche Camp is a small luxurious tented camp, nestled at the foot of an Indigenous forest overlooking a waterhole, in the center of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Six sumptuous tented suites provide the ultimate bush experience for a maximum of twelve guests. An intimate and personalized atmosphere prevails in this superbly hosted camp.
- The Camp offers a wide range of activities including walking safaris, game viewing (day & night)in a 4WD vehicle, mountain biking safaris, lion tracking, canoeing, and visits to the Wildlife Educational Center, Chimpanzee sanctuary, and Northern White Rhino enclosure.
Olpejeta Bush Camp
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is located on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the foothills of the Aberdares with magnificent views of Mount Kenya. The wildlife is never far away from the camp – on the opposite bank of the river is a salt lick, attracting a variety of game throughout the day and night.
Accommodation
- Ol Pejeta Bush Camp has 6 tents with twin OR double beds, accommodating a total of 12 guests. There is also 1 family tent taking up to 4 people.
- The camp can be booked exclusively for a family or group of 4 or more for a small supplement per night. Further temporary tents can be added for larger groups if necessary.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy Jobs
Supply Chain Officer at Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC)
- The incumbent’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the organization’s supply chain runs efficiently, and smoothly to support the conservation activities.
- This is achieved by ensuring that the organization has a reliable and efficient supply chain unit that supports its conservation activities, while also minimizing costs and ensuring adherence to relevant laws and regulations.
Assistant Livestock Health Technician at Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC)
- Responsible for all spray races, attending each spray for accurate acaricide mixing and spray race control in each location, and being in charge in the absence of a Senior Livestock Health Technician.
- This is for efficient and effective day-to-day responsibility to maintain high standards for livestock health and husbandry of the OPC herd in the best ways possible with the use of resources responsibly.
Institutional Funding Coordinator at Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC)
- The Institutional Funding Coordinator will be accountable for coordinating Ol Pejeta’s institutional fundraising initiatives, enabling the Conservancy to secure funds from institutions, large trusts and foundations, and selected corporate partners.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy Contacts
- Attraction Type: Wildlife
- Category: Wildlife Conservancy, Animal Sanctuary
- Region: Mt. Kenya
- City / Town: Laikipia
- Telephone: 254 20 232 6170
- Email: info@olpejetaconservancy.org
- Website: http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org
- Entrance Fee: Yes
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
County: Laikipia | Nearest Town: