The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 360 km2 non-profit wildlife conservancy situated on the equator between the Aberdares and Mount Kenya in Laikipia County (Central Kenya). The conservancy works to protect and sustain Kenyan wildlife as well as provide a sanctuary for great apes who have been rescued from the black market and endangered species such as the black rhino. They are caretakers of the land who have adopted new ways to embrace conservation while offering authentic interactions with wildlife to create amazing experiences.

 

Ol Pejeta began as a successful beef ranch in the early 1940s and remained so throughout the colonial era. However, by the 1960s, poaching by colonial hunters had taken a severe toll on wildlife populations in the area, and even though elephant hunting was declared illegal in 1973, numbers continued to decline. This concerned one of the previous owners, Lonrho Africa, who then established the Sweetwaters Game Reserve in 1988 as a sanctuary for black rhinos, elephants and other wildlife. It, therefore, became the first place to integrate cattle and wildlife, and eventually, the Game Reserve expanded to cover 90,000 acres, turning into what we now know as Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

 

The conservancy hosts all the Big Five: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and cape buffalo and hence, is considered to have the highest predator density in Kenya outside of the Maasai Mara. Along with these, there are large populations of giraffes, zebra, gazelles, dik-dik, wildebeest, cheetahs, hyenas and hippos, creating a rich diversity of fauna. Rarer animals that exist in these grasslands also include the African wild dogs, oryx and bat-eared foxes.

 

 

With more than 500 recorded bird species, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is also a birdwatcher’s paradise. You are most likely to see ostriches, black-winged lapwings, Hildebrandt’s, rosy-throated longclaws and secretary birds.

 

All animals have freedom of movement; however, rhinos are restricted by “game corridors” and firmly placed, knee-high posts in the ground. This has been done so that they do not move into areas where they would be vulnerable to slaughter.

 

Ol Pejeta has an incredible history for rhino conversation. In 2009, it became home to the four remaining northern white rhinos in the world (two males and two female). Sudan, Suni, Fantu and Najin were relocated from the Czech Republic to Kenya in the hope that the native habitat would provide more favourable breeding conditions. There were immense efforts to bring this subspecies back from the brink of extinction, but unfortunately, neither female rhino became pregnant, and in 2014 and 2018 both male rhinos Sudan and Suni died respectively. Now, conservationists hope to crossbreed southern white rhinos with the northern whites, to preserve northern white rhino genetics in a hybrid offspring.

 

 

On a more positive note, the conservancy boasts the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and in 2013, met a population milestone of 100 black rhinos, making it reach “key 1” status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) African Rhino Specialist Group categorization. It is one of only eight sanctuaries in Africa with this distinction.

 

Protecting all this wildlife is conducted in several ways. A team of 14 dogs work with the security team as they are trained to track human scent and are often the first on the scene at any incidents. Belgian Malinois dogs have also been recently acquired and are trained in tracking, attack, patrol and ivory and weapons detection. Moreover, armed teams operate day and night to respond in incidents and emergencies both within and in surrounding areas of the conservancy.

 

 

 

Ol Pejeta owns and operates a Piper PA-18 super cub light aircraft which is used for surveillance, monitoring and game counts and since 2013, use drones to deliver real-time video and thermal imaging.

 

In addition to this already strong protective detail, the conservancy naturally has general security such as eclectic fences.

 

The main activity at the conservancy is, of course, game drives. However, these are not conducted only through safari vehicles. Visitors have the exhilarating opportunity to participate in bush walks, horse rides, camel rides and even lion tracking! Any of these activities greatly support the conservation project while providing new experiences.

 

 

Meet Baraka, one of the first black rhinos born at Ol Pejeta, who lost one eye to a deadly infection and soon after developed a cataract in the other and subsequently became completely blind. He was moved into an enclosure and visitors can feed him from a platform.

 

 

As I said earlier, the conservancy rescues chimpanzees from the black market and provides a haven and rehabilitation centre for them because most are orphaned or have been indescribably abused. All this is done at The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary which was formed in 1993 in collaboration with Kenyan Wildlife Services (KWS) and The Jane Goodwall Institute. It is a permanent refuge amid the most natural environment possible.

 

 

Last but not least, visit the Morani Information Centre where you gain insight into how wildlife preservation works and learn more about the different species that live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

 

Gaining the full experience of this conservancy takes time, so here is a list of accommodations worth staying at as you enjoy an eye-opening and memorable holiday:

 

1. Sweetwaters Serena Camp
2. Ol Pejeta House
3. Pelican House
4. Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages
5. Porini Rhino Camp
6. Kicheche Laikipia Camp
7. Mutara Camp

 

 

Finally, while Ol Pejeta has done a fantastic job to guard vulnerable wildlife, working against criminals who now have access to automatic weapons, silencers and night-vision, is increasingly difficult and extremely expensive. It currently costs approximately US$17,300 per square kilometre to secure the conservancy and prevent poaching. The worst part is that their work is nowhere near done and it does not look as though it is going to get easier anytime soon. Personally, this place holds a special place in my heart because it was the first game reserve I remember visiting and the thought of it ever being in extreme danger, is unbearable. Therefore, spreading Ol Pejeta’s message and supporting their goals is imperative. We do not want to live in a world where animals roaming in the wild, in their habitats, is a distant memory and something you only see on the internet or in documentaries.

 

Ol Pejeta are doing great work in terms of conservation and protection of wildlife. Lets support them by making a DONATION as this is the time where they need us the most to carry out their magnificent work as their main source of income is through tourism, which has stalled due to the worldwide global pandemic, however the local tourism is still alive and by visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy today you will be playing your part in supporting the conservancy

 

 

On August 18, 2020 the Northern white rhino rescue programme resumed work with successful egg harvest. They harvested 10 eggs from the last remaining two individuals, Najin and Fatu, in the third-ever ovum pickup procedure in northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. For more on this story click on the following link: northern-white-rhino-rescue-programme-resumes-work-at-ol-pejeta-conservancy-with-successful-egg-harvest

 

Follow @goplacesdigital and myself, @trailingpages, on Instagram to not only know about where to travel, but also keep up to date with everything you need to know about environmental conservation and learn about all the great things Kenyans are doing for wildlife. Let’s protect the Earth together.

 

Images by Ol Pejeta Conservancy

 

 

Article by Sanika Shah