3 Days Ol Pejeta Conservancy/Sweetwater’s Sanctuary

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a leading wildlife conservancy located in Laikipia County, Kenya, situated on the equator between the foothills of the Aberdares and Mount Kenya. Spanning approximately 90,000 acres, it has evolved from a working cattle ranch into a pioneering model of integrated conservation that balances wildlife protection, community development, tourism, and sustainable livestock management. Its mission is to conserve biodiversity for future generations through nature-based solutions.

The conservancy is renowned for its significant role in rhinoceros conservation. It operates the largest single population of eastern black rhinos in East Africa and is famously home to the last two northern white rhinos in the world, under constant protection in an effort to save the subspecies from extinction. Ol Pejeta is one of only a handful of conservancies in Africa to be awarded IUCN Green List status, recognizing its excellence in managing protected areas.

Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, located within Ol Pejeta, holds the distinction of being the only place in Kenya where chimpanzees can be seen. Established in 1993, the sanctuary was created in response to a crisis when a chimpanzee rescue centre in Burundi was forced to close due to civil war. It was founded through an agreement between Ol Pejeta, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the Jane Goodall Institute.

The sanctuary provides a permanent, safe haven for chimpanzees that have been orphaned, rescued from the black market, or abused. As chimpanzees are not native to Kenya (their natural habitat spans West and Central Africa), they cannot be released into the wild there and require lifelong refuge. The sanctuary, a chartered member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), currently cares for over 30 chimpanzees. These rescued apes live in two large, social groups within natural enclosures separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River, where they receive round-the-clock veterinary care and have the chance to reclaim their lives. Beyond rescue, the sanctuary serves as a platform for advocacy and education, raising global awareness about the illegal trade in great apes.