The Laikipia Ecosystem

Ol Pejeta Conservancy has over 10000 large mammals and it is the only park where the big 5 and chimpanzees can be seen. There are southern white rhinos, about 150 endangered black rhinos, and in a special sanctuary there are two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos. The black rhino population in Ol Pejeta is not only the fastest growing but also the largest in the world.

Ol Pejeta is home to a number of endangered species including the African Wild Dog, Grevy’s Zebra, and the Jackson’s Hartebeest.

African wild dogs are listed as endangered by IUCN, with the wild population considered to be around 6,600. They are facing drastic habitat loss as human settlements expand, as well as persecution from livestock owners trying to protect their stock. Wild dogs are also vulnerable to many of the diseases that affect domestic dogs, and these can have devastating consequences on entire packs.

Unlike the plains zebra, who range across most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Grevy’s zebra is found only in Ethiopia, Kenya, and historically Somalia too. The Laikipia-Samburu ecosystem remains a vital area in the conservation of this species. In the early 1990s, Ol Pejeta introduced 13 Grevy’s zebras and later, a further ten immigrated from neighboring ranches, and inhabited the western sector of the Conservancy.

Jackson’s hartebeest has small and mostly declining populations. The global population of Jackson’s hartebeest is unknown but in Laikipia, their numbers are estimated to be between 700-1000 individuals. Ol Pejeta hosts an estimated 180 – 27% of the area’s population.