Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a non-profit wildlife conservancy in Kenya that is renowned for housing the largest rhino population in Kenya, including the last two northern white rhinos in the world, and for being the only place to find chimpanzees. It is located in central Kenya’s Laikipia’s County, west of Nanyuki, and between the foothills of Aberdare and Mount Kenya.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy was founded in 1988 for the purpose of conserving a variety of endangered wildlife species. The conservancy is also home to the “Big Five” – lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, elephants, and rhinos – making it one of the finest places in Kenya to view the “Big Five.” The Conservancy also operates the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which provides orphaned, abandoned, and rescued chimpanzees with a home.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a home to a range of wildlife species such as white and black rhinos, Grevy’s zebra, Jackson’s wildebeests, lions, elephants, cape buffaloes, leopards, cheetah, eland, impala, bat eared fox, baboons, hippos, giraffes, vervet monkeys, dik-dik, silver backed jackal, hyenas among others.

The Conservancy is also a great birding habitat, as it is home to more than 300 bird species, including ostriches, guinea fowls, vulturine guinea fowls, helmeted guineafowls, francolins, Quails, and spur fowls such as harlequin quail, common quail, crested francolin, Shelley’s francolin, Hottentot Tea anas, red-billed Tea anas, Knob-billed duck, African black duck, northern shoveler Anas, Spur-Winged Goose, Maccoa Duck Oxyura, the little grebe, Marabou Stork, yellow-billed Stork, Black stork, White stork, African Open billed Stork, Sandle billed stork, and Abdms stork, to name a few.

THINGS TO DO AT OL PEJETA

 

Game Drives

Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers morning game drives, full day game drives, and evening game drives. Home to the Big Five and other endangered wildlife species, Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers game drives in the morning, throughout the day, and in the evening. During these game drives, you may encounter African wild dog, cheetah, Oryx, Grevy’s zebra, Beisa Oryx, Jackson hartebeests, lions, leopards, cheetahs, the large but friendly elephants, large herds of rhnis, lions, cape buffaloes, baboons, giraffes, and many more. During a game drive in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, you may encounter enormous but friendly elephants and the world’s last two northern white rhinos (Najin and Fatu).

Game drives in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Night wildlife drives in the Conservancy provide the opportunity to observe nocturnal animals such as lions, leopards, African wild dogs, and others roaming the conservancy’s grasslands.

Lion tracking

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a captivating Kenyan tourist destination for lion tracking experiences, as the conservancy has designated prides for lion tracking. These lions have tracking collars in their necks, allowing rangers to determine their locations. Lions in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy can roam over an area of approximately 360 square kilometers, but they can be tracked with the aid of trackers. These monitors also assist in protecting the lions from poachers.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is one of the finest places to observe the world’s most formidable predators in action.

Lion monitoring is most effective between 06:30 and 08:30 and 15:30 and 17:30.

Hippo hides

This activity involves a walk along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, where you will be able to identify a number of hippos while wearing camouflage. This activity is conducted early in the morning, and you will be able to observe hippos as they emerge for sunlight. It is conducted along a scenic nature trail, winding through indigenous flora used by local communities for cooking and medicine.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy conceal is open daily from 07:00 to 18:30.

Walking trips

Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers thrilling walking safaris that are ideal for nature enthusiasts; walking safaris in the Conservancy offer unobstructed views of the park and the various species of animals that reside in the Conservancy. Wildebeests, leopards, and elephants, among others, are some of the animals to be on the watch for while on a nature walk with park rangers through the conservancy.

The Conservancy offers walking excursions in the mornings and afternoons, between 06:30 and 09:30 and 15:30 and 18:00.

Visit the chimpanzee sanctuary

On a Kenya tour to the Conservancy, you will have the opportunity to visit the Sweet waters’ chimpanzee sanctuary, a home for orphaned chimpanzees that was established in 1993 with the intention of providing a natural environment for non-indigenous species on an island within the park. Ol Pejeta is the only location in Kenya where it is possible to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

When is the best time to visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy?

The ideal time to visit the Conservancy is between June and October, during the dry season, when game viewing is at its peak.

The Conservancy experiences fluctuating climatic conditions throughout the year.

November and December experience a brief period of precipitation. During this time, plants are in bloom, making it an ideal time to visit the preserve to view plants and migratory animals.

Following the rains, there is a brief dry period from January to March, during which time flora bloom. This period is ideal for exceptional photographers.

In April and May, the conservancy experiences a lengthy rainy season, during which Ol Pejeta Bush Camp may be closed.

Where to stay at Ol Pejeta Conservancy during your Kenya Safari?

During a Kenya safari to the Conservancy, there are a variety of accommodation facilities to choose from. These facilities are categorized as luxury, midrange, and budget and offer comfortable guest rooms and other essential facilities and services. Included in the Conservancy’s lodgings are

Ol Pejeta Bush Camp

The Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is one of the finest accommodations in the Conservancy. Located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, the camp features completely furnished tented camps with en suite bathrooms. Ol Pejeta Bush Camp should be one of the first lodging options you consider when visiting the conservancy.

Sweetwaters Serena Camp

The Sweetwaters Serena Camp is one of the most beautiful and magnificent luxury camps in the Conservancy, located on the eastern side of the Conservancy and offering a luxurious stay during your Kenya safari. Tents are completely furnished and have en-suite facilities at Sweetwaters Serena Camp, which features 50 tents with enticing views of the Mountains, watering holes, and wildlife.

Ol Pejeta House

The Ol Pejeta House is an intimate accommodation facility in the Conservancy. Situated in a private and tranquil section of the conservancy, the Ol Pejeta House has a limited number of guest rooms and two private swimming pools, which are among the house’s mesmerizing amenities.

Kicheche Laikipia Camp

This award-winning camp is nestled in the shadows of Mount Kenya at the foot of an indigenous forest overlooking a waterhole and is surrounded by Ol Pejeta’s wilderness zone. Kicheche Laikipia Camp has received a number of accolades for its conservation efforts, and the camp donates twenty-five percent of its revenue to conservation and community initiatives.

Porini Rhino Camp

The Porini Camp is a beautiful hidden camp located behind a small forest of acacia trees. It is an eco-friendly camp nestled in a beautiful valley in a secluded area, providing you with a tranquil retreat during your Kenya excursion to Ol Pejeta Conservancy.