East Africa’s geography and wildlife have been shaped over millions of years by volcanoes, seasonal droughts and fires, millions of grazing animals, and more recently  human activities. The acacia-studded savannas of Kenya still harbor an abundance of large mammals found nowhere else on Earth.

The semi-nomadic Maasai people have lived in East Africa for hundreds of years. In traditional Maasai society, a man’s wealth is measured by the number of cattle he owns and tilling land for crops is considered a crime against nature.

The population of Africa is growing rapidly. As new communities and fences spring up, people find themselves in conflict with wildlife when elephants trample farmers’ fields — obliterating a year’s harvest in a single night — and lions prey on precious livestock. Numerous national parks, reserves and game-controlled areas in Kenya incorporate an impressive amount of grassland habitat.

Credited with bringing the endangered black rhino back from the brink of extinction and serving as a sanctuary for an additional 70 large-mammal species, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a catalyst for community-based conservation on the dry savannas of northern Kenya. Lewa is strategically located along an elephant corridor connecting the upland forests of Mt. Kenya and lower-elevation rangelands to the north. 

Currently, besides national parks and game reserves several groups have formed “community conservancies” (protected areas on communally held lands), benefiting more than 75,000 people and protecting almost two million acres of land. Together with dedicated conservationists, Kenya wildlife services we welcome you to study, these pages as you plan your trip to Kenya. In the process, we will cultivate hope and opportunity with the people who live in these places where the land moves on forever.