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History
of Lewa
Lewa was once a cattle ranch; it then became
a heavily guarded black rhino sanctuary, and it is now the
headquarters for a non-profit wildlife conservancy, which
has gained a world-wide reputation for extending the benefits
of conservation beyond its borders. |
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The Craig/Douglas family first came to Lewa Downs in 1922,
and managed it as a cattle ranch for over 50 years. Unlike
many other ranchers in the area, they had always valued the
wildlife that shared the land with the cattle, and developed
wildlife tourism as an additional activity.
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it was uncertain whether any black rhinos would survive in
Kenya. Poaching for horn had reduced Kenya's rhinos from some
20,000 in the mid-1970s to a few hundred by 1986. It was clear
that the only way to prevent their complete extinction was
to create high-security sanctuaries
 In
1983 the Craigs and Mrs.
Anna Merz - who funded the programme - decided to establish
the fenced and guarded Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary at the
western end of Lewa Downs. The rhino sanctuary was stocked
partly with animals from other reserves and partly from isolated
individuals from northern Kenya, whose likely survival in
the wild was a matter of months at most. The black rhino that
were caught settled down and bred, and white rhino were added.
After ten years, it was clear that the rhinos
needed more space, and the sanctuary was expanded to cover
the rest of the ranch, and the adjoining Ngare
Ndare Forest Reserve . |
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The perimeter was almost entirely fenced, for security
and to ensure that elephants did not raid crops in neighbouring
farms, but the ecological connections between Lewa and neighbouring
wildlife areas were maintained by leaving gaps in the fence
for animal movements. At the same time the entire property
was converted to a wildlife sanctuary, as the Craig family
handed over the management of the ranch to a non-profit
organisation - the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy .
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Kinanjui
Lesenteria
Kinanjui Lesenteria was the Head of Security at LWC at its
inception in 1995 but he has worked for the Craigs since 1966.
His first job was to protect domestic and wild animals from
poachers. Later, when Ian Craig left school, Kinanjui was
given the responsibility of teaching him about hunting and
wildlife. In the ten years that the two spent out together
in the bush an enduring friendship developed.
A born hunter, Kinanjui had an unparalleled knowledge, respect
and understanding of wildlife. So, when hunting was banned
in 1977, there was nobody better equipped to protect and care
for the rhino and other endangered species at Lewa. In 1997
Kinanjui, an Ndorobo Maasai, persuaded the Ndrorobo Maasai
communities of Il Ngwesi and Namunyak of Ian’s integrity
and to accept his help in building a lodge as a tourist attraction.
Kinanjui retired in 2001, but he is still visiting Lewa on
a regular basis. |
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Lord Deedes Visits Lewa
As part of the London Daily Telegraph Christmas Appeal Lord Deedes has just finished a 6 day visit to the Conservancy, Il Ngwesi and Namunyak....more |
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Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
The past 6 months have been a bewildering time, where we have seen just how vulnerable this fragile resource of Africa's wildlife really is. ...more |
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