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Kenya · Safari destination

Ol Pejeta

A Laikipia conservancy that grew from a cattle ranch into a rhino stronghold — home to the last two northern white rhinos on earth.

Plan a safari to Ol PejetaSee 3 journeys
White rhinoceroses in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya
White rhinoceroses in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, KenyaPhotograph: Weldon Kennedy from London, UK (CC BY 2.0) · Credits
Country
Kenya
Run by
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Established
2004, on a former cattle ranch
Rhinos
The last two northern white rhinos and over 165 black rhinos
Recognition
One of five conservancies in Africa on the IUCN Green List
Our journeys here
3 journeys in the catalogue
Is Ol Pejeta right for you?

Who it suits.

Best for
Rhino and conservation enthusiasts, families with older children, and travellers who want to understand how wildlife and livestock can share land.
How it connects
On our routes Ol Pejeta (sometimes called Sweetwaters in package titles) is combined with Lake Nakuru, the Mara and Samburu, on three journeys.

Ol Pejeta in our Kenya guide, with the places around it.

Why visit Ol Pejeta

Where rhino conservation is personal.

Ol Pejeta describes itself as the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, protecting more than 165 critically endangered black rhinos, and it is where the last two northern white rhinos in the world live. It is also the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, which live in the conservancy’s care, and its plains are home to a wide range of the country’s best-known wildlife.

It is also a working model of conservation alongside people and livestock. Ol Pejeta was established in 2004 on a former cattle ranch, and it now combines wildlife protection, community development, tourism and cattle ranching, and it argues that well-managed cattle can improve soil and habitat. It is one of only five conservancies in Africa with IUCN Green List status, a recognition of the benefits its work brings to people and nature.

Landscapes & wildlife

Laikipia’s plains.

The conservancy sits in Laikipia, a region Ol Pejeta describes as having the richest diversity of wildlife in Kenya outside the Maasai Mara, and its own ecosystem as having the highest densities of wildlife outside the Mara. It uses technology to monitor species populations and smart fencing designed to let migratory wildlife move freely, so the conservancy is part of a wider landscape rather than an island.

  • Black and northern white rhinos
  • Chimpanzees in the conservancy’s care
  • Plains game and predators

Wildlife moves freely and sightings are never guaranteed.

A reticulated giraffe in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya
Photograph: Weldon Kennedy from London, UK (CC BY 2.0)
Signature experiences

At Ol Pejeta.

Practical advice

Good to know about Ol Pejeta.

  • Wild chimpanzees live across western and central Africa. Those at Ol Pejeta live in the conservancy’s care, which is why it is the only place in Kenya to see them.
Related destinations

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Park rules, fees and conditions change, so always check the latest before you travel.

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