Laikipia county is located on the equator in the former Rift Valley province. It borders Meru to the east and Isiolo to the northeast. It has the best places to visit like Mt. Kenya National Park, the famous Ol Pegeta conservancy and many others.
1. Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy.
It is a no-profit wildlife conservancy in central Kenya in Laikipia county. The conservancy provides sanctuary for great apes and generates income for wildlife tourism for reinvestment in conservation and community development.
The conservancy brags the largest black rhino haven in east Africa. It reached a population milestone of 100 black rhinos, it also inhabits the two remaining white rhinos. The conservancy provides a home to orphaned, rescued and abandoned chimpanzees.
Wildlife.
The big five are found in Ol Pejeta and both black and white rhinos thrive here. Rare wild animals found in the conservancy include the African wild dog, oryx, Grevy’s zebra, cheetah, serval and bat-eared fox.
The common wildlife found include giraffes, baboons, vervet monkeys, hippos, impala, dik-dik, plain zebra and hyenas. There are 200 bird species in the conservancy.
2. Mount Kenya National Park.
The park was established in 1949 to protect mount Kenya, the wildlife and the surrounding environment.
Fauna.
There are elephants, black and white colobus, other monkeys, and cape buffaloes.
3. Ol Jogi wildlife conservancy.
The conservancy is 225 kilometres from Nairobi, north of Nanyuki in the Laikipia North District. The conservancy covers 58000 acres of land, housing animals that have been rescued from different parts of the world.
Wildlife.
Among the wildlife found is a beautiful bear named Potap, a gift from Russia, the bear is 19 years old and the lifespan for a bear is 35 years. The conservancy homes the endangered species like the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, African wild dog, lion, cheetah, the greater kudu and Laikipia hartebeest.
The conservancy hosts 55 black and 25 white rhinos, 400 elephants, 5 species of large carnivores, 3 species of primates, 22 species of ungulates, and 310 avian species. Some of the activities that a tourist enjoys are game drives, horse riding, walking with baboons, visiting Twala cultural centre and many other activities.
4. Ol Maisor
The conservancy is north of Nanyuki in the Laikipia North District. The conservancy houses animals that have been rescued from different parts of the world.
Wildlife.
The conservancy homes the endangered species like the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, African wild dog, lion, cheetah, the greater kudu and Laikipia hartebeest.
The conservancy hosts black rhinos, elephants, species of large carnivores, species of primates, species of ungulates, and avian species. Some of the activities that a tourist enjoys are game drives, horse riding, walking with baboons, visiting cultural centres and many other activities.
5. Ol Jogi.
The conservancy is in the Laikipia North District. The conservancy houses animals that have been rescued from different parts of the world.
Wildlife.
The conservancy homes the endangered species like the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, African wild dog, lion, cheetah, the greater kudu and Laikipia hartebeest.
The conservancy hosts black rhinos, elephants, species of large carnivores, species of primates, species of ungulates, and avian species. Some of the activities that a tourist enjoys are game drives, horse riding, walking with baboons, visiting cultural centres and many other activities.
6. Lewa down wildlife conservancy.
Wildlife.
The threat to Lewa’s wildlife and, in particular, its rhinos is always present, although, with improved security and increasingly good relations with its neighbours, the situation has improved in recent years. The rhinoceros inhabitants require monitoring and protection constantly due to their threatened status, continued pressure and the recent event of rhino poaching elsewhere in the country.
To provide a high level of sanctuary for the wildlife, especially the endangered wildlife, as well as the people of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, it is important to have an extremely effective security system.
Lewa’s security operation covers a well-trained and highly driven ranger force, both armed and unarmed; a tracker dog team; and a dependable communications network with its neighbours, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), local government agencies, community conservancies joined forces with the Northern Rangelands Trust and private wildlife conservation projects and conservancies in the area. Regular flying surveillance is carried out and the boundary electric game fence is maintained.
Neighbouring communities and other organisations frequently request Lewa’s assistance with support and follow-up to incidents such as poaching, cattle rustling, and banditry. Lewa’s micro security operations have a good record: only two rhinos have been lost to poaching on the Conservancy (Ntoiye and Tana, were shot on 26 December 2009; Tana survived until 5 March 2010). Lewa was the only wildlife haven in Kenya not to have lost a rhino to poachers in 2014. Lewa’s anti-poaching teams have been stationed in other rhino sanctuaries following serious levels of rhino poaching and have effectively reduced rhino poaching as a result.
The conservancy is in the Laikipia North District. The conservancy houses animals that have been rescued from different parts of the world.
7. Kaptuya Wildlife Conservancy.
Wildlife.
The conservancy homes the endangered species like the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, African wild dog, lion, cheetah, the greater kudu and Laikipia hartebeest.
The conservancy hosts black rhinos, elephants, species of large carnivores, species of primates, species of ungulates, and avian species. Some of the activities that a tourist enjoys are game drives, horse riding, walking with baboons, visiting cultural centres and many other activities.
8. Ngare Ndare forest.
The forest is a lush indigenous at foot of Mount Kenya forest. It is located on the border of two northern counties Meru and Laikipia and the border of two conservancies Lewa and Borana.
Attraction.
10 metres above the ground Ngare Ndare’s canopy walk, takes you 450 metres into the forest. The best time is shortly before sunset, the light goes through the leaves and branches creating wonderful spectacles nature can come up with.
All around there are colourful butterflies and birds, you will for sure be entertained by them. Once a year bicycle race is held in the forest for everyone even amateurs.
Laikipia is known for its ranches and farmlands. The landscape is different from other parts of Kenya and it’s not prolific as Maasai Mara Game Reserve. You will see different wild animals including the black rhino, which has almost half of the wildlife population residing in Laikipia.