we went on safari! ol pejeta is a private conservancy about 5 hours north of nairobi, in the shadow of mount kenya. it is a very new park, only established as such in 2004. we had a private minivan and driver named harrison and got a pretty amazing deal because there were almost no tourists in kenya at the time. ol pejeta is privately owned and maintained, in contrast to most of kenya’s other parks, which are run by the government. the private ownership allows ol pejeta to do things that aren’t possible in the other parks – like nighttime safaris! we saw some lions very close up, including 2 males facing off with each other, and then heard some other lions mating in the bushes – they are able to go at it every 15 minutes all night long when the season is right. the park has a unique model of raising cattle in the park to help supplement income, and presumably the diet of some of the predators. ol pejeta is also the only place in kenya where one can see chimpanzees. interestingly, they are not native to kenya – these chimps were all confiscated at the international airport in smuggler’s luggage. it is most famous for being one of the best place to see rhinos – it has the largest population of black rhinos in africa, with over 100.
in a special enclosure in ol pejeta live the last 2 northern white rhinos in the world. they are both female – unfortunately the last male of the species passed away, so the only hope for the species is artificial insemination, which is actively being pursued. being the last of the species, the last 2 northern white rhinos are heavily protected from poachers by security with guns and helicopters overhead.
probably the best experience in the park is seeing a black rhino named baraka. he is blind, and therefore won’t try to kill you. you can feed him and pet him – unbelievable!
