Sprawling over the rolling plains north of Mt Kenya, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a prolific wildlife conservancy that is popular with celebrities, conservationists, writers and photographers. Lewa found recent media attention with stories of a Royal romance and the fairytale engagement that followed.
The “big five” in one afternoon. The massive excitement of a lion hunt, with the Grevy’s zebra’s lucky and last-minute escape. The huge thrill of seeing two leopards in two days.
Visitors to Lewa are privy to some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing that Kenya has to offer: lion, leopard and jackal thrive on the rich diversity of prey that inhabits the area. The Wildlife Conservancy is home to the largest concentration of Grevy’s zebra in the world, and its range of habitats attracts diverse birdlife and hosts over 200 Black and White rhino.
Featuring large tented bedrooms with verandahs and full en-suite bathrooms, Lewa Safari camp offers authentic comfort for its visitors; cozy log fires in the sitting room are perfect for relaxing after a day in the Conservancy. This unique and exclusive retreat offers privileged access to 65,000 acres of private protected wilderness.
Underpinning the glamorous magnetism of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a serious mission: a pioneering and pragmatic approach to conservation, founded in the 1970’s, that has developed into a thriving and globally recognised rhino conservation habitat.
Lewa Safari Camp is the only tourist facility within the Conservancy that is owned by the Conservancy. Profits and conservancy fees generated by the camp are reinvested directly into the conservation and community efforts of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
Conservation
The conservancy covers 65,000 acres, a vast wilderness. Lewa has dramatic views to the south of snow capped Mt. Kenya, and to the north down to the arid lands of Tassia and Il Ngwesi. It has many diverse habitats from pristine forest, fertile grasslands, extensive springs and acacia woodland.
Registered as a rhino conservancy in 1983, the conservancy is famous for its successful rhino and Grevy zebra breeding, two endangered species; Lewa is home to 10% of Kenya’s rhino, and 20% of the worlds population of Grevy zebra. The whole conservancy is fenced, and the conservancy employs over 150 rangers. The conservancy does extensive outreach work into the surrounding communities with its Community Development Program, including healthcare, education, micro-finance, and water projects – in order to share with the community the benefits of wildlife.
With over 70 recorded mammal species within the conservancy, for guests, the wildlife experience is unrivalled.
CONSERVATION
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was previously a cattle ranch owned by David and Delia Craig, who together with Ana Mertz and Peter Jenkins, initially set aside 5,000 acres to protect and breed rhinos, whose population had dropped precipitously from 20,000 to less than 300 in the 1970′s.
AFRICA’S ENDANGERED BLACK RHINOS
One of the most intriguing animals on the planet is the black rhinoceros. This distinctive mammal can reach weights of 1400 kg and prefers a solitary existence. The black rhinoceros is in jeopardy of extinction and would certainly have fared much better had hunters and poachers not pursued them for many years.