Contour Eco Contributions
About Ol Pejeta Conservancy
From a working cattle ranch in colonial Kenya to a trailblazer of conservation innovation - the story of Ol Pejeta is as enchanting as it is inspirational.
Today, Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, and home to two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos. It is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, in a sanctuary established to rehabilitate animals rescued from the black market. It has some of the highest predator densities in Kenya, and still manages a very successful livestock program. Ol Pejeta also seeks to support the people living around its borders, to ensure wildlife conservation translates to better education, healthcare and infrastructure for the next generation of wildlife guardians.
In 2004, the ranch was purchased by the U.K.-based conservation organization, Fauna &Flora International (FFI), with the financial backing of the Arcus Foundation, a private international philanthropic organization founded by Jon Stryker. The land purchase was wholly funded by a $15 million donation from the Arcus Foundation, which worked in tandem with FFI and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to secure the 90,000 acres of open Savannah grassland and convert it to a national land trust.
The conservation of the natural habitat, located in Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, ensured the protection of existing rhino, elephant, and other wildlife populations in addition to captive chimpanzees living in a 300-acre sanctuary.
The Arcus Foundation also gave $12 million to fund capital and institutional development costs at the conservancy. That initial injection of funding allowed Ol Pejeta Conservancy to fulfill its business model as a Kenyan-owned operation benefiting local community development and economic growth in addition to its impact on conservation.
Today, the Arcus Foundation continues to support the conservancy through its membership on the Board of Trustees and the funding of various initiatives.
In 2014, Ol Pejeta achieved IUCN Green List status making it one of the first conservancies in Africa to be awarded this. IUCN Green Listing aims to define excellence in managing valuable natural areas. We have also been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence three years running - a testament to the incredible experiences treasured by all who visit Ol Pejeta.
In 2015, we published our 2020 Management Plan - which was developed by our staff in consultation with a range of stakeholders, and sets out our vision for the years leading up to 2020, outlining the major projects that will help us to deliver our vision. We want to become an innovative and sustainable model that conserves biodiversity (particularly endangered species) and contributes to economic growth and the improvement of the livelihoods of rural communities.
Research Results
A lot of exciting and fascinating research has been carried out on Ol Pejeta over the past few years - which has helped us shape management plans for wildlife, livestock and habitats.
This has included research on wildlife populations and behavior, such as investigating the effects of sex-biased inbreeding on the reproductive success and home range size of the black rhino. Understanding how individual differences in genetic diversity mediate the outcome of intrasexual competition in black rhino will be essential for Ol Pejeta to effectively manage its enclosed population. Research on predicting the habitat usage of the black rhino has also been useful, as it highlighted areas of potential high browse pressure which should be the focus of EMU's continued monitoring. This research also helped inform decisions on exclusion zones. Another researcher working on Ol Pejeta uncovered the social organization of reticulated giraffe, which will be vital in conservation strategies for this species. This research reported that although giraffe social interactions are highly fluid in nature, it is apparent that association patterns in giraffe are not the result of random fission–fusion events, but are embedded within a structured social network characterized by multiple levels of organization.
A study into the influences of body mass index (BMI), age and sex on inflammatory disease risk in semi-captive chimpanzees suggested that managing BMI should be an integral part of health management in captive chimpanzee populations. This can not only be applied to Ol Pejeta's chimpanzees, but to semi-captive chimpanzees all over the world.
Research on Ol Pejeta's habitats has been highly important as well. Establishing the rate at which the invasive Euclea divinorum plant was taking over grassland has been vital in developing management strategies that will hopefully inhibit the spread of the bush. Research into the variability in survival and mortality of Acacia drepanolobium Sjøstedt following prescribed burning on Ol Pejeta reported that, although burning was a useful tool in other parts of the Conservancy, it was in fact detrimental to Acacia drepanolobium woodland because it reversed tree growth and reduced the flower and fruit set in mature trees. Burning also resulted in reduced seedling recruitment as burnt areas attracted seedling predators. It was recommended to Ol Pejeta that in order to maintain a stable and productive habitat for black rhino, controlled burning should be practiced away from A. drepanolobium dominated or mixed woodlands.
Ol Pejeta conserves biodiversity, promotes healthy ecosystems and supports sustainable development through innovative nature-based solutions.
A future where the sustainable management of natural resources supports thriving biodiversity and provides for the needs of people.
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