Meet the last two Northern white rhinos left on the planet, the highly trained anti-poaching blood hound team and the rescued chimpanzees of Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Conservation Activities at Ol Pejeta
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is not simply a backdrop for game drives. It is one of Africa’s most active and ambitious conservation projects. The conservancy is home to the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, and a chimpanzee sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates primates from across the continent.
Your stay at The Safari Cottages directly funds this work through conservation and bednight fees as well as conservation activities, which allow you to see Ol Pejeta from inside. Read about your positive impact here.
All conservation activities are operated by Ol Pejeta Conservancy, they must be booked and paid for in advance. You can do this online yourself, or we can arrange them for you when you book.
VISIT NAJIN AND FATU — THE LAST TWO NORTHERN WHITE RHINOS
There are two northern white rhinos left on Earth. Their names are Najin and Fatu; a mother and daughter and they live here, on Ol Pejeta, a short drive from The Safari Cottages.
A guided visit to the northern white rhino enclosure is educational and deeply emotional. Their dedicated keepers have cared for them for years and will share the full story of the BioRescue project — the international scientific initiative using preserved genetic material and IVF technology to give the subspecies a future. In 2023, the project achieved a landmark proof-of-concept embryo transfer. The work continues.
Allow at least an hour. Most guests say it’s the experience they talk about most when they get home.
Read the full story of Najin, Fatu and the BioRescue project →
THE K9 ANTI-POACHING UNIT
Meet Drum, Diego, Sarah, Sugar and the crew!
From a single footstep, Ol Pejeta’s K9 unit can track a poacher’s scent for up to 12 hours across 20–30 kilometres of bush. Drum is a Springer Spaniel. He’s a ball of energy and one of the only dogs in Kenya capable of detecting weapons, ammunition and ivory. The bloodhounds handle tracking and pursuit. Between them and their 12 dedicated handlers, they are on the frontline of Ol Pejeta’s anti-poaching operation every day.
A visit to the K9 unit includes a live demonstration — guests are invited to run and hide, and then watch the dogs find them. It is part training exercise, part conservation education, and entirely unforgettable, particularly for younger visitors and dog lovers.
SWEETWATERS CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY
Kenya is not natural chimpanzee habitat, which makes the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary such a surprising and moving experience. The fact that they are are here is a testament to the their declining natural environment and the sign the world needs that chimpanzees need help.
The sanctuary was set up bu Dr Jane Goodall and is home to orphaned and rescued chimpanzees from across central Africa — animals who cannot be returned to the wild but who can live out their lives here with space, dignity and dedicated care from a team who know them individually. A guided visit tells the story of how each animal came to be here, what the sanctuary does and why it matters.
Prices and booking for all conservation activities are managed directly by Ol Pejeta Conservancy. You can view the full list of available experiences and their current prices at olpejetaconservancy.org/experiences.
We’re happy to help you plan which activities to include and when — just ask when you get in touch.