Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is situated within a 62,000-acre ranch and wildlife sanctuary. It has been home to the Craig family since 1924 who, by initially setting aside 5,000 acres of their ranch in 1983, were instrumental in setting up a sanctuary to protect black rhinos.
Fortunately, this was so successful that in 1995 they dedicated their entire ranch to conservation, and it now homes over 10% of Kenya’s entire black rhino population and 14% of their white rhino population, making it the perfect choice for your next safari if you want to catch the Big 5, namely rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo, all of which make their home at Lewa. Lewa supports a myriad of plains game species all perfectly adapted for the semi-desert environment, and Grevy’s Zebra and the Reticulated Giraffe are common. Additionally, the lance-like horned Beisa Oryx and the rare Greater Kudu are seasonal visitors, and the Guenther’s Dikdik, the giraffe-necked Gerenuk, and the beautiful blue-legged Somali Ostrich are resident all year round. The swamp has become a sanctuary in itself for the rare and fascinating semi-aquatic Sitatunga Antelope and its primary predator, the Leopard. Birdlife is equally rich, with numerous species of Bustard, Plover, Coursers, and birds of prey. At night, leopards are frequently encountered, along with bush babies, aardvarks, bat-eared foxes, caracals, and various mongooses, genets, and civets. Given all this, a few days in Lewa will give you a unique combination of hospitality, spectacular scenery, and abundant game.
