Things to see and do Center

The ranch entrance is about 15 km from Nanyuki on the road to Nyahuhuru. You can register for visits, organized by the Mount Kenya Safari Club, but the rates are extremely high. The easiest thing is to get there with your own vehicle, if you have one, and pay the entrance right at the ranch gate. Like the Solio Ranch near Nyeri, this private animal sanctuary has as its main objective the protection of rhino.

But it also gives the opportunity to discover a fairly rich fauna (herbivores, giraffes, lions and elephants) in a very pleasant environment. Chimpanzees were even introduced there a few years ago with some success. These chimpanzees have all been removed from the people who mistreated them, so they are no longer really "wild" animals. However, they are rather fascinating to observe, and they alone are the main attraction of this park. The Sweetwaters Game Reserve is the only place in Kenya where you can observe them. In short, an interesting and pleasant visit but, apart from the chimpanzees, it is not worth the surrounding national parks.

It was the French Embassy which originally financed the project. Since then, Willy Limo, the Conservative, has struggled to give him an acceptable appearance. Serpents, crocodiles, varans and turtles do not really have an easy life in their enclosures, and the food that keeps these residents dependent depends on entry. In addition, it is important to know that this center is very useful to the local population, very exposed. Five or six cases of venomous snakes are recorded each month. An education program helps educate schoolchildren and rural populations about different types of observable reptiles in the region. The first emergency actions are taught and in case of bite, a telephone number is available. Some doses of anti-venom are also in reserve, if necessary. But this center is desperately lacking… So you will do a good job!

Ol Pejeta is well worth a couple of days/night inside the reserve to explore and soak up the atmosphere. However, for the fast paced traveller and those who do not have the budget to stay, there is the option of a guided day tour. This includes an early morning sunrise game drive, a visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary, a picnic lunch in the bush or lunch at Morani's restaurant, then in the afternoon a visit to the rhino sanctuary and, if time permits, a final game drive.