Lewa conservancy
Lewa Conservancy serves a safe refuge for the critically endangered black rhinos and the endangered Grevy’s Zebras as well as other wildlife species including elephants, lions, giraffes, wild dog among other iconic wildlife species of Kenya. The conservancy was created mainly to maintain and increase the population of some of the most critically endangered species in Africa.
Lewa Conservancy is a 62,000 acre- conservancy containing many different types of habitat from plains to rolling hills, swamps to forests. The conservancy is surrounded by vast valleys and rolling mountains.
Beyond being a habitat for wildlife. Lewa Conservancy is a huge importance on community related projects and has spearheaded a number of initiatives to support education, water improvements and healthcare in the local community.
Lewa Conservancy is a home to the Big Five and hosts an extraordinary diversity, the conservancy is famous for hosting one of the highest populations of rhinos in the world.
History of Lewa Conservancy
Lewa Conservancy was founded by the Craig family and Anna Merz, The Craig family first arrived in the 1920s and used the land as a cattle ranch for 50 years after being even the land by the colonial government. Unlike other ranchers, they always valued the local wildlife and shared it with the animals and shared the land with the animals and also enable the tourists to visit.
In the 1980s, Ann Merz contacted the Craigs asking if she could build a place to protect rhinos which were critically threatened and facing extinction due to poaching, with just a few hundred remaining.
The initiative started with 5000 acres of fenced land and it was a great success with rhinos breeding, the area was guarded by an electric fence and security. The Craigs were then given permission to relocate many rhinos in the north of Kenya to protect them.
The breeding and conservation programmes were so successful that tourists from around the world started to visit, this made the Craig family to devote the entire 40,000 acre ranch to form a non- profit the Lewa Conservancy. The perimeters of the land was fenced with a few gaps being left to enable the movements of animals.
Lewa Conservancy has been visited from many famous visitors including HRH Prince William who worked here during his gap year, during his visit William loved the place so much that he proposed to Kate Middleton in Lewa While they were on a Kenya safari together.
Lewa Conservancy is also a home to the annual Lewa Marathon with over 1500 runners and it raised over USD 8 million in its 20 year- history and weaves its way through the area, the Lewa Marathon is the one of the most picturesque marathons in the world.
Wildlife in Lewa Conservancy
Lewa Conservancy is a home to some of the rarest species of wildlife in the world including 214 black and white rhinos which is the biggest population in any safari park in the whole global. The sanctuary is situated within a volatile region where banditry and poaching were prolific.
It also hosts over 90% of all Grevy zebras found outside captivity as well as the reticulated giraffes. Others animals found in the conservancy include lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards and a huge population of birdlife.
It also receives a huge number of animals during the migratory period with over 400 elephants traversing the grounds during each cycle, this spectacle can be witnessed from a purpose-built elephant Underpass.
Activities in Lewa Conservancy
Lewa Conservancy offers many Kenya safari activities, these activities range from those based in the camps to horse riding, camel riding and hot air balloon trips at dawn. Most camps in the conservancy offers walking safaris, night game drives, bush breakfasts and sundowners in several magical spots.
You can also visit waterfalls and walking safari in Ngare Ngare Forest.
Also cultural visits are available in Lewa Conservancy, this experience enables visitors to see how various tribes of Kenya live, usually you will be greeted with a welcome ceremony including a dance which visitors are encouraged to participate in, the village people take you on a walk in the village showing off their homes and you can purchase souvenirs as a way of supporting the locals.
How to get Lewa Conservancy
It is located in Meru County just north of the equator – North Kenya, from Nairobi it is a drive of 4-hours north of the city. The conservancy can be accessed by road or by air.
By road – the conservancy can be accessed using either public or private means of transport.
By air – there are direct flights from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the airstrip in Lewa, it usually no more than 30 – 45 minutes to your camp with game viewing en-route. These flights are offered by SafariLink and AirKenya.
When to Visit Lewa Conservancy
The best times to visit Lewa Conservancy is from June to September and again from December to March, however with changes in climate. The seasons have shifted and are less reliable so as long as the camps are open, it is likely to be good viewing.
The dry seasons provides great time for Kenya safari and sightings as wildlife gather around water sources.
