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Olerai Conservancy

Olerai Conservancy

Ankaa Africa Safaris is proud to announce the start of collaboration with Olerai Conservancy, an island of breathtaking wilderness near Nairobi City. Ankaa is the sole tourism partner of this ecological gem signaling the start of a great journey of hospitality excellence in Africa. But first things first.

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Background

Olerai Conservancy is situated to the west of the Kiserian-Isinya Road, often called Pipeline Road, and is about 20 kilometers southwest of Nairobi National Park.

The general area here is called Kitengela Game Conservation Area, signifying the historical abundance of wildlife. For many years, the area served as an important wildlife dispersal area for Nairobi Park connecting it to distant ecosystems such as Amboseli and Tsavo. Most of this has now changed over the last two decades which have seen rapid urbanization, fragmentation and fencing of small private land parcels leaving small pockets of wilderness areas and without the traditional wildlife dispersal. It was established by 11 Sorimpan brothers who are the proprietors of the land. They saw the potential of nature-based tourism as a much better and ecologically stable land use that complements well with livestock production.

They therefore resisted the urge to subdivide or sell their land and they established Olerai Conservancy with the stewardship of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

Rich and diverse heritage

The Conservancy is part of expansive open plains called Kipeto. But the specific location is characterized by open and wooded grasslands. The woody vegetation is dominated by Acacia seyal, called “Olerai” in the local language and from which it derives the name. There are narrow stripes of riverine vegetation dominated by a variety of Acacia tree species along the seasonal streams.

The Conservancy hosts many range species of wildlife such as gazelles and zebras and the grasslands are famed as the breeding sites for the Eland antelope which is the flagship species in the area. The Maasai Ostrich is also common and known to breed in the local grasslands. Species that have been recorded here before but are currently unsighted the Maasai Giraffe, Kongoni, and wildebeests, which have been secluded by degradation of the migratory corridor.

Over 30 species of birds were recorded during the feasibility study that supported the Conservancy establishment in 2008. Common bird species sighted here are sparrows, the helmeted guinea fowl, red-necked spur fowls, the ostrich, yellow billed egret, the Kori Bustard, the Martial eagle, and the African white-backed vulture.

Although small, the conservancy has a special niche in the conservation map in Kenya for being a habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species of fauna and flora. The foremost of them is the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). The highly endangered white-backed vulture has a breeding site in the conservancy with up to 13 recorded colonies. Another vulture, the Ruppel’s vulture, which breeds in a nearby lake uses the conservancy as a roosting ground.

Upcoming Lodge

Ankaa Africa Safaris has leased the conservancy and is now working with the community to step up conservation and community livelihood programs through sustainable tourism.

Plans are underway to set up an eco-lodge of about 30 beds which is aimed at offering a personal and authentic wilderness experience close but away from the city. The camp will have dining, lounge, and accommodation around the scenic views of Emowuo Ole Mpale Ridge where visitors can savor the distant vistas of the conservancy.

The lodge guests will cherish a truly eco-friendly setting and the income from the lodge will assist in paying the lease for the land to keep it safe for wildlife and livestock. For added variety, the conservancy will provide eco-activities including camping, picnics, bird watching, and nature trails.

Olerai Conservancy will aspire to become a model ecotourism project that will demonstrate that nature-based tourism can be a viable and profitable land use for the indigenous communities in Africa.

Learn more about the Olerai Conservancy by clicking here: https://www.oleraiconservancy.com/

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