We left Samburu Reserve with a morning game drive and proceed south driving through Isiolo to Sweetwaters passing agricultural lands with coffee plantations among massive fields of yellow flowers. Sweetwaters land, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy and its sumptuous ranch was once the private domain of famed multi-millionaire, Adnan Kashoggi. Ol Pejeta is one of the largest private game parks in East Africa with magnificent views across the plains to the snow capped peaks of Mount Kenya on 90,000 acres.This game sanctuary is the closest reserve to Nairobi with the ‘big five’ (the endangered black and white rhino , leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion) and has the highest ratio of game-to-area of any park in Kenya
Sweetwaters' Chimpanzee Sanctuary for rescued chimps is located within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Here is the only place in Kenya where this highly endangered and remarkably intelligent species can be seen. We visited the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on our afternoon game drive that is established by the Jane Goodall Institute to provide shelter to orphaned chimps.
The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary opened in 1993 supported by Kenya Willdlife Service (KWS) and the Jane Gooodall Institute. This sanctuary provide life long refuge to orphaned and abused chimps from west and central Africa. This has started with a group of 3 chimp orphans that were brought in from Burundi evacuated due to outbreak of the civil war in Burundi. Over the last decade sanctuary has been accepting chimps rescued from traumatic situations making the total in the sanctuary to 42. At Sweetwaters Sanctuary Chimps live in two groups separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River in the safety of a natural enclosure. Sanctuary has a Chimpanzee Information Center and "Give a Chimp a Chance" - the Chimps adoption program that visitors can pay few dollars to sponsor a chimp living here.
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is now also home to a reasonable population of white and black rhinos, some taken care in the Morini Complex and Information Center (right). In particulat Ol Pejeta work to conserve the highly endangered black rhinos. "Baraka" a black rhino was the first rhino to be born in the wild in Ol Pejeta. Meaning of the name Baraka is "blessing" in Swahili. He is now completely blind due to a fight with another rhino where he lost an eye and then sadly he had developed cataract in the other eye. His disability has meant that he could not be returned to the wild and he is being fed in the Morini complex. Visitors to Morini Center get the rear opportunity to feed Baraka ; a "hands on experience" with rhinos and pose for a picture with him. We visited Morini Center on our afternoon game driver but the Baraka was having an afternoon nap so that we missed the chance of taking a photograph with him. I was very lucky to meet "Max" in the Savannah, little away from Morini Center and give a pat on his back. it was a great adventure getting close to a wild animal in the wild although his caretakers were around.
With the ever increasing demand for rhino horns, security systems are in place to track rhinos in their natural habitant. Ol Pejeta "rhino patrols" aim to sight each individual rhino at least once in every 3 days. If an individual is not seen within the designated sighting interval, extra resources including aircraft surveillance are used to track rhinos. Many of Ol Pejeta rhinos are fitted with horn transmitters that allow for radio tracking. 
Being a home to 84 black rhinos and 11 southern white rhinos, Ol Pejeta , which is East Africa's largest rhino sanctuary. This has been rated to be the best possible location for the northern white rhino's breeding project with Ol Pejeta's qualified and experienced staff to care for these species. Ol Pejeta Conservancy has welcomed four of the world's last remaining eight Northern white rhinos in 2009 . All of the animals were trans-located from a zoo in Czech Republic. Najin, Fatu, Sudan and Suni are these special white rhinos now living in Morini camp (picture right above).The combination of amazing wildlife and stunning views across the plains of Ol Pejeta guarantees an unforgeable safari experience. Here are some magnificent species we met during our safari at Ol Pejeta.
Beisa Oryx (left)An impala who lost a horn in a wild battle (right)
Playful pair of Jackal (left)
Baboon on a thorn bush (right)
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Water hog (right)
A Giraffe with a scare on back possibly attacked by lion (left)
Zebra feeding (right)
Window Bird (left) it was fun to watch this black little bird with long tail jumps up in the grassy plain at equal intervals for a long period.
Superb Starling (right)
In fact Sweetwaters boasts excellent game viewing with the highest ratio of game to area of any park or reserve in Kenya. when visiting the Ol pejeta Conservancy, accommodation can be selected in one of Ol Pejeta's five luxurious facilities and our choice was the finest, Sweetwaters Luxury tented Camp overlooking a large water hole backed by spectacular view of Mount Kenya.
Located on the plains of Mount Kenya, the camp features forty luxury tents, some on ground level and some erected on raised wooden platforms and each with its own private veranda overlooking the water hole, so we were guaranteed unprecedented close encounters with wild. The central Rhino Restaurant is housed in the former manager's house of this once colonial farm, and offers both regional and international cuisine. Also within the house is the Kashoggi Bar and lounge, which centres on a blazing log fire.
