Laikipia Wildlife: Rhinos, Wild Dogs, Grevy’s Zebra and More

Entice Africa October 26, 2026Safari, Wildlife & Conservation

Laikipia wildlife is led by rhinos: travel and conservation sources put about half of Kenya’s black rhinos on the plateau, and Ol Pejeta is home to Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos alive. The animals in Laikipia also include Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, African wild dogs and elephants, most of them on the conservancies in our complete guide to the Laikipia conservancies. Ol Pejeta is about 220 km from Nairobi, a drive of roughly 4 to 4.5 hours.

This guide gives the figures behind each species with the year of every count, then shows where to look and what the practical side costs. Wildlife is wild, so no conservancy can promise a sighting, and some counts are several years old.

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Laikipia wildlife at a glance

Statuses are IUCN Red List categories. KWS is the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Rhinos: Laikipia’s signature animals

Black and southern white rhinos

Kenya’s rhino population stood at 2,102 at the end of 2024, up from 384 in 1987, according to KWS. That total is 1,059 eastern black rhinos, 1,041 southern white rhinos and 2 northern white rhinos. We found no official county split, but travel and conservation sources say Laikipia holds about half of the country’s black rhinos and roughly 70 percent of its southern white rhinos. Treat those shares as approximate.

Ol Pejeta calls itself the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and holds well over 150 black rhinos. Lewa says 14 percent of Kenya’s rhinos live on its conservancy, and that its Lewa-Borana landscape holds over 280 rhinos. Success brings a problem: KWS says sanctuaries, particularly for black rhinos, are nearing or past their carrying capacity, so in 2025 the government moved 21 black rhinos from Ol Pejeta to Segera Rhino Sanctuary, also in Laikipia. Our guide to rhino conservation in Laikipia tells the longer story.

Rhinos are the reason many travellers add Ol Pejeta to a Kenya itinerary, and the 8 Days Ol Pejeta Masai Mara Amboseli Luxury Kenya Safari pairs it with two of Kenya’s most famous parks.

The last two northern white rhinos

Only two northern white rhinos remain, both female and both at Ol Pejeta: Najin and her daughter Fatu, born in 1989 and 2000 at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic. Sudan, the last male, died in March 2018. Neither female can breed naturally, and armed rangers guard them around the clock.

The BioRescue programme, which includes Ol Pejeta, is working with embryos instead. Ol Pejeta’s update of 22 April 2026 says 39 pure northern white embryos now exist. Three transfers into southern white surrogates in the second half of 2025 did not lead to a lasting pregnancy, and no pregnancy had been announced. Ol Pejeta lists "Meet the Last Two Northern White Rhinos" among its experiences, so ask about current availability and cost when you plan.

Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe: the northern specials

Grevy’s zebra is easy to tell from the plains zebra: its stripes are narrower, its ears are large and round, and its belly is white. It is Endangered and listed on CITES Appendix I. The Grevy’s Zebra Trust puts the world population at about 3,042 in 2018, down from about 15,000 in the 1970s, an 80 percent fall in four decades.

For Grevy’s zebra in Kenya, the latest full count we could find is the Great Grevy’s Rally of 30 to 31 January 2016: 2,250 animals counted plus about 100 outside the surveyed area, an estimate of 2,350. Laikipia was not part of the species’ natural range, yet it now supports over half of Kenya’s Grevy’s zebra. Lewa counts 264 across the Lewa-Borana landscape, Ngare Ndare Forest Trust and the Mount Kenya Elephant Corridor.

The reticulated giraffe has been listed as Endangered since 2018. About 20,900 remain in the wild, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, a fall of more than 40 percent from an estimated 36,000 about 35 years earlier. Its range is mainly northern and north-eastern Kenya. Sosian, Ol Jogi, Segera and Suyian all have reticulated giraffe.

Both animals belong to the northern group we describe in our Samburu Special Five guide to northern Kenya’s rarest animals. If the north is your priority, the 9 Days Untamed Safari to the Hidden Northern Kenya Circuit is the trip to look at.

African wild dogs: a fragile comeback

African wild dogs are Endangered, and researchers at Mpala in Laikipia put the world population at 3,000 to 5,500. By the 1990s wild dogs were nearly gone from the plateau, hit by disease, including rabies, and by conflict with pastoralists. They recovered to more than 300, the largest population in Kenya, until the 2017 drought pushed herders and their domestic dogs into Laikipia and canine distemper spread. The dogs were thought to be wiped out.

Then a lone female appeared at Mpala in 2018, two males joined her and she raised five pups. Mpala reported in January 2020 that one pack of nearly 20 lived there. Kenya’s 2025 census found that wild dogs and cheetahs had each lost roughly half their numbers in four years, so we do not quote a current Laikipia pack count. Lewa and andBeyond Suyian both list wild dogs among their wildlife, and our guide to where and how to see wild dogs in Laikipia covers what is known.

Elephants, lions and the rest of the Big Five

The latest ecosystem count we found is the KWS aerial survey of 26 June to 5 July 2021, which estimated 7,475 elephants across about 65,518 square kilometres of Laikipia, Samburu, Marsabit and Meru. Laikipia County held 60 percent of them (4,475) and Samburu 17 percent (1,305). Kenya’s national census, launched on 11 December 2025, found more than 40,000 elephants, up 4 percent since 2021, but we found no 2025 split for Laikipia.

Lions are listed as Vulnerable. Lewa names lions among its wildlife, and Ol Pejeta offers lion tracking and is described as home to all of the Big Five. We found no dependable current lion count for Laikipia, so we quote none. Ol Pejeta also hosts the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees. They are rescued animals, not wild Kenyan chimpanzees, and visits are included in the daily entry fee. If the Mara is also on your list, read our guide to the Big Five in the Masai Mara.

Where to see each animal in Laikipia

A property listing shows what lives there, not what you will see on a particular day.

Getting there, fees and what to expect

Fees last verified: October 2026. Ol Pejeta’s page shows no effective date, so confirm the figure before you travel.

Ol Pejeta’s daily fee covers the chimpanzees and an all-day game drive from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Night drives run in two slots, 7 to 9 pm and 9 to 11 pm, and must be booked at least a day ahead. Ol Pejeta says a 2WD vehicle can reach the conservancy in the dry season, but a 4×4 is strongly recommended in the rains.

Lewa sits at 1,400 to 2,000 metres (4,500 to 6,500 ft). Days are usually hot and dry and nights are cool, so pack warm layers. Lewa describes the malaria risk as low; ask your doctor before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

What animals can you see in Laikipia?

Laikipia holds black and southern white rhinos, the last two northern white rhinos, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, elephants, lions and African wild dogs. Ol Pejeta is described as home to all of the Big Five.

How many rhinos are there in Laikipia?

We found no official county figure. Kenya had 2,102 rhinos at the end of 2024, and travel and conservation sources say about half of the black rhinos live in Laikipia. Ol Pejeta holds well over 150 black rhinos, and Lewa says its Lewa-Borana landscape holds over 280 rhinos.

Can you see northern white rhinos in Laikipia?

Yes. The only two left, Najin and Fatu, live at Ol Pejeta under armed guard. Ol Pejeta lists a visit as an experience, so check availability and cost when you plan.

Where can you see Grevy’s zebra in Kenya?

Mainly in Laikipia and Samburu. Laikipia supports over half of Kenya’s Grevy’s zebra, and Lewa counts 264 across its landscape.

Can you see wild dogs in Laikipia?

Sometimes, but it is never guaranteed. Disease and conflict with herders have knocked the population back before, and Kenya’s 2025 census found wild dogs down by roughly half in four years. Lewa and Suyian list them, but do not book a safari on the promise of wild dogs alone.

How far is Laikipia from Nairobi?

Ol Pejeta is about 220 km, a drive of roughly 4 to 4.5 hours depending on traffic and road conditions. Lewa is about four hours by road, or you can take a daily direct flight from Wilson Airport with Safarilink or Air Kenya.

Photo: Grevy's zebras in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya by Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons