Laikipia

Laikipia is a broad, high plateau lying between the Aberdare Mountains and Mt Kenya. The plateau is made up of a combination of large independent farms and community ranchlands. In recent years many of the privately owned farms have set up conservation initiatives on their land and have worked together to establish conservation areas to protect some of Kenya's most endangered large mammals including black rhino and wild dog. Further north, other landowners have joined in with this initiative, resulting in this huge area being set aside for conservation.

What was once an area of livestock ranches is now one of the most progressive and successful conservation areas in Kenya. The emphasis is on luxury tourism with fewer numbers and creating a co-operative and sustainable income for the local tribes.

Laikipia contains many of Kenya's endangered species, including almost half of Kenya’s black rhino population. It’s also seen successful growth of wild dog populations with several established packs and is now recognised as the second most important site for them in Africa. The animals in Laikipia, especially the rarer species, tend to be closely managed, with predators often radio-collared in order to track them, and wildlife rangers monitoring individual rhinos, keeping an eye on them day and night.