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While Loisaba is home to majestic lions, elusive leopards, magnificent elephants and endangered reticulated giraffes and Grevy’s zebra, it also hosts a spectacular array of a much more diverse class of vertebrates. From the Verreaux’s eagle with a wingspan of 2.3 metres to the firefinch that only weighs 10 grams, guests staying at Loisaba have the opportunity to discover over 250 species of birds. Here are some of our favourites!

While Loisaba is currently home to four out of the five of the Big Five, with an ambition to add the eastern black rhino to the list, several other wildlife species can also be found here – many of which can only be seen in areas such as Northern Kenya…

Earlier this year, an aerial census was carried out across Loisaba Conservancy and Mugie Conservancy to estimate wildlife populations, and to form a basis for population trends in order to influence wildlife management.

World Rhino Day on September 22 celebrates all five rhino species, with the eastern black rhino being critically endangered. Loisaba Conservancy is working to become a rhino sanctuary, providing essential space for population growth. With successful conservation efforts, Kenya's black rhino numbers have risen, and Loisaba aims to help by reintroducing rhinos to further increase genetic diversity and support Kenya's long-term conservation goals.

Lions are in trouble. Their population in Africa is estimated to have almost halved in the past 20 years, with as few as 20,000 estimated to be remaining across the entire continent.

Recently discovered to be a unique species rather than a subspecies, Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) populations have declined drastically in just the past 30 years.

Loisaba Conservancy promotes coexistence between wildlife and pastoralists through smart grazing, water access, and tech-driven conservation. Partnering with San Diego Zoo and Lion Landscapes, they use GPS tracking and boma defenses to reduce conflict, support endangered species, and foster sustainable living for local Maasai and Samburu communities.

Bees and other pollinating insects play an essential role in ecosystems, with third of all food depending on their pollination. A world without pollinators would be devastating for food production. Since the late 1990s, beekeepers around the world have observed a sudden disappearance of bees, and reported unusually high rates of decline in honey bee.

Some call it a green hell: As the invasive cactus species Opuntia engelmannii spreads in Kenya, it covers everything. It spreads across the plain and outcompetes native plants. Formerly diverse habitats are now nothing but cacti.

The last two weeks have seen worldwide coverage of the black leopards recorded on San Diego Zoo Global remote cameras in Laikipia, and has resulted in intense interest in the sighting and science behind it.

Researchers from San Diego Zoo Global have been using camera traps at Loisaba Conservancy and neighbouring properties in order to understand population dynamics of leopards, and the mechanisms that drive human-wildlife conflict to assess the efficacy of management decisions aimed at mitigating conflict. We are very excited to hear that thesecamera traps have captured rare footage of melanistic leopards, otherwise knownas black panthers!

Huge influxes of cattle during the drought in 2017 meant that many of the African wild dogs in Laikipia were wiped out by canine distemper virus (CDV) spread from the herdsmen’s domestic dogs. However, after nearly a year of no sightings, staff at the Loisaba Star Beds were excited to hear the unique calls of a pack of wild dogs on Monday!

Loisaba Conservancy is a hub for applied conservation research in the north Kenya landscape.  

Last week, our brilliant security Manager Daniel Yiankere was invited to KWS Headquarters in Nairobi to celebrate #worldrangerday in recognition of being one of the 50 rangers to have won an award in the 2018 African Ranger Awards by Paradise International Foundation.

Since October, 144 students and 24 teachers from our surrounding communities have attended conservation education days at Loisaba’s Conservation Centre. These days aim to connect those children living alongside wildlife with the conservation projects that are ongoing at Loisaba.

In May, Loisaba Conservancy hosted a ‘Fly In’ organised by the Aero Club of East Africa, an event normally held once every two years.

Current estimates are that over the past 20 years the reticulated giraffe population has declined by over 70%, from 36,000 to less than 9,000 today. It is thought the main drivers behind the decline are habitat loss and fragmentation, land degradation, and poaching. However, relatively little is known about reticulated giraffe movements, or their ecology.

Land Connected; Life Protected Migration is an essential element in sustaining viable wildlife populations. Today, many of Kenya’s wildlife populations exist in isolation, having been separated completely by increasing human populations and infrastructure development. Wildlife corridors are critical in connecting habitats, protecting life and maintaining diversity.

Tracker dogs are one of the most effective tools for wildlife security, often deterring poachers from even entering an area. Over the years our two bloodhounds Warrior and Machine have proved invaluable to Loisaba’s security team.

Lion Landscapes' #collaringforcoexistence program tests boma alarm stations to deter lions from livestock, aiming to protect both lions and livelihoods in Laikipia.