Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy: Animal Orphanage and Forest Sanctuary

The Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy sits at around 2,200 metres on the lower slopes of Mount Kenya, just north of Nanyuki and directly on the equator. Founded in 1964 by William and Stephania Carr as a holding facility for injured and orphaned animals, it now manages captive breeding programmes for several endangered species alongside the animal orphanage that remains open to visitors.

The case for the conservancy can be made in a single species: the mountain bongo. This is one of the world’s most endangered antelopes, with fewer than 100 individuals estimated to remain in the wild in Kenya. The conservancy holds the largest captive population anywhere and has reintroduced several animals to forest areas on the mountain’s western slopes. Without this programme, the mountain bongo would very likely already be extinct.

The Animal Sanctuary

Guided tours take about 2 hours and cover the main enclosures and breeding facilities. Guides explain the background of specific animals – the circumstances of their rescue and the prospects for reintroduction. The interpretation quality here is higher than at most Kenyan wildlife facilities because the conservancy’s institutional history is well-documented and the staff have accumulated knowledge across decades.

Unlike game reserves where animals are free-ranging, this is a managed sanctuary where you walk the grounds on foot. Distances are short. The setting, with montane forest on one side and open views toward the mountain on clear mornings, is appealing in its own right.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

About 25km west of Nanyuki, Ol Pejeta is a separate and much larger operation covering 90,000 acres of savanna. It is one of the main rhino sanctuaries in East Africa and holds both black and white rhino populations, including the last two northern white rhinos on earth: Najin and Fatu, mother and daughter. Northern white rhinos are functionally extinct in the wild. The species’ survival now depends entirely on IVF work using preserved genetic material from these two animals and from stored samples. They live at Ol Pejeta under 24-hour armed guard.

Ol Pejeta also holds Kenya’s only chimpanzee sanctuary – the animals are not native to Kenya and were rescued from the bushmeat trade and private ownership. Game drives encounter the standard East African species: elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe. Entry is around USD 90 per adult for a full day.

Mount Kenya Trekking

The mountain itself is a separate entity. The Sirimon and Chogoria gates give access to the main trekking routes to Point Lenana (4,985m), the highest accessible non-technical summit. The standard Sirimon-Chogoria traverse takes 4-5 days with proper acclimatisation. Park entry costs around USD 52 per adult per day; guides and porters are mandatory above the moorland zone.

Where to Stay and Eat

Sweetwaters Tented Camp at Ol Pejeta has comfortable permanent tents on the edge of a waterhole that attracts wildlife after dark (around USD 250-400 per person full board including a game drive). Mount Kenya Safari Club, adjacent to the Wildlife Conservancy, is a historic property from the 1950s in parkland with mountain views (USD 300-500 per person). Budget guesthouses in Nanyuki town run USD 30-80 per night.

Trout Tree Restaurant, 15km south of Nanyuki near Naro Moru, is built into a fig tree over a trout pond and serves the fish from directly below. It is a functioning destination, not just a novelty.

Nanyuki is 190km from Nairobi, about 2.5 hours by road via the A2. Safarilink and AirKenya fly from Wilson Airport in about 40 minutes.