Laikipia Kenya
Laikipia Kenya
The Laikipia region of Kenya offers a real and pristine wilderness experience, off the beaten track.
Located to the north of Nairobi and Mount Kenya, Laikipia is regarded as the gateway to Kenya's wild northern frontier district, where some of the country's most encouraging conservation success stories are unfolding. Not only do the wildlife densities rank second only to the Masai Mara, but more endangered species can be seen here than anywhere else in East Africa. This region is at the forefront of ecotourism in Kenya with cutting edge grazing programs and community empowerment projects, ensuring the survival of endemic and rare species such as Grevy's zebra, Jackson's hartebeest and reticulated giraffe as well as roughly half of Kenya’s 600 black rhino population.
Laikipia is a plateau district, straddling the equator north west of Mount Kenya - an area which is increasingly recognised as one of Kenya’s best safari regions. The plains stretch from the Great Rift Valley to magnificent escarpments, which then drop to the Northern Frontier District. The environment mostly consists of acacia-dotted savannahs, olive forests and scrubby bush, with altitudes varying from about 1500 to 1950m. There are multiple ethnic communities here with the Kikuyus and Maasai communities forming the largest portion of its residents, as well as Borana, Pokot, Samburu, Kalenjin, Meru and some Europeans forming its minorities.
Governors' Mugie House
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THE
MugieFive
Grevy's zebra
Striped hyena
Beisa oryx
Jackson's Hartebeest
Reticulated Giraffe
THE
MugieFive
Grevy's zebra
The Grevy’s are mostly found in northern Kenya and are distinguishable with very narrow stripes, a white belly, black dorsal stripe, large rounded ears and a brown muzzle. An interesting fact about this species is that they can go without water for up to 5 days, making them perfectly suited to semi-arid environments such as the Laikipia region. They are...
Striped hyena
Although the striped hyena is the most widespread of all hyena populations, they occur at very low densities across very large areas, therefore they are considered to be a rare sighting on a safari. They are smaller in size, more shy and more solitary than their spotted cousins. Black stripes on their torso, legs and head easily sets them apart...
Beisa oryx
The common Beisa Oryx, is the endemic subspecies of Northern Kenya and can be found throughout the Horn of Africa. Their build is compact and muscular with relative long bodies and broad necks - there are no differences in physical appearance between males and females. They are listed as endangered by the IUCN red list.
Jackson's Hartebeest
Mugie Conservancy is one the few places to see Jackson's hartebeest. They are easily distinguishable from other antelope as a high shouldered, long-legged, short-necked animal with a long narrow face. Unfortunately the Jackson’s hartebeest is locally threatened and research points to predation, diseases and habitat loss as the main reasons for their decline. Over the years, Mugie Conservancy has preserved...
Reticulated Giraffe
The reticulated giraffe is one of Kenya’s signature wildlife species and tourist attractions in the north. They too have a relatively limited distribution across the country but thankfully numbers appear to be increasing with improved community and private land conservation projects. This species has a distinct liver-red coat interjected by a network of polygonal, bright-white lines and are generally slightly...
