At the foothills of Kenya’s snow-capped Mt. Kenya, lies one of Kenya’s prime wildlife conservancies, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Leading the way in wildlife and community conservation, this unique conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, as well as having a healthy population of southern white rhino and is home to the planet’s last two northern white rhino. This is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which houses orphaned and abandoned chimpanzees. Home to the ‘Big 5’ Ol Pejeta has an abundance of wildlife and birdlife to delight the visitors.
Ol Pejeta offers a huge range of activities for visitors, making it one of the best places to visit in Kenya. Below we’re highlighting just some of the activities visitors to Ol Pejeta can indulge in . . .
Experiences at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
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Meet the Planets Last 2 Northern White Rhinos
A once in a life-time opportunity to meet the last two northern white rhinos on the planet, and hear their dedicated keepers tell their story.
Ride With Rhinos
Take a morning or an evening ride on Ol Pejeta’s safari horses, within the 600 acres Endangered Species Enclosure accompanied by the guides. Ride through a predator-free area set aside by Ol Pejeta for the recovery of the northern white rhinoceros. As well as meeting the last remaining northern white rhinos on the planet, you will ride through herds of the highly endangered Grevy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest. You will also encounter many other species including southern white rhinos and a myriad of plains game.
Ride in the Wild
Carry more memories home by riding on horseback across the Ol Pejeta plains. This experience, which lasts two hours, is unparalleled. Ride through the endangered species enclosure, then out the gate onto the Ol Pejeta plains and to the rhino memorial, Sudan’s resting place. Horse riding gives you a unique perspective of the landscape and allows you to get closer to wildlife than in a safari vehicle. You will feel a sense of quiet isolation amidst the vast scenery of Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Depending on weather conditions and rider experience there may be a swim in Pelican dam!
Dog Tracking
Visit Ol Pejeta’s anti-poaching dog unit. Interact with the dog keepers, and learn about what it takes to look after their specially trained canine team.
Following on from the tour of the kennels, visitors are encouraged to try to evade the sniffer dogs. Run, jump, twist, turn and find somewhere to hide within the environs of Morani and see if the blood hounds can seek you out. Not only is this great fun for you, but you will be helping to offer genuine training for the dogs.
Image – BBC Wildlife Magazine
Junior Rangers
An exciting experience for children between the ages of 4 & 12. Become an Ol Pejeta Junior Ranger which includes many activities for the youngsters to enjoy. An activity booklet, a box of crayons and 5 stickers all contained within a very cool Ol Pejeta bag. As you journey through the Conservancy, 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.
Lion Tracking
A unique opportunity to track and learn about the lions of Ol Pejeta and contribute towards their conservation. Guests can participate in helping to gather vital research information needed to monitor collared lions. In the event that the collared lions are inaccessible, other lion sightings are reported and the same identifying features such as whisker spots, ear tears and nose spotting recorded. It is a great way to learn about lions and all of the information gathered is passed on to the Ol Pejeta Ecological Monitoring Department.
Our Recommended Properties at Ol Pejeta
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