Laikipia lies in central Kenya bordered by the Rift Valley to the west, Aberdares Range to the south and Mount Kenya to the southeast.
Sosian is one of a unique group of ranches varying from 5,000 to 100,000 acres on the Laikipia plateau and covers 24,000 acres of very diverse ecosystems. Open grassy plains are home to plains game such as oryx, Grant’s gazelle, Ostrich, herds of the rare Grevy’s zebra, cheetah and Jackson’s Hartebeest. To the south of the ranch, the bush is thicker and full of acacia woodland which is home to elephant, buffalo, reticulated giraffe, wild dog, lion and leopard. There is a strong population of hyena and Sosian is very active in predator research, particularly with lions and wild dogs who were almost wiped into extinction in the early 1900’s. We are also very fortunate to have a beautiful little river passing through the ranch which is lined with stunning Yellow Fever Acacia trees and provides a life-line for much of the wildlife in this area, particularly in the dry season. Hippos are a common sighting, and the birdlife is spectacular. A major attraction on the Ewaso Narok river are the waterfalls, a short walk away from the lodge and an exhilarating experience for those brave enough to throw themselves 30 feet off the top of them into the deep pool below.
Laikipia is at the forefront of conservation in East Africa. Due to mounting game awareness on many of the ranches, the population of large mammals is increasing as a whole. Wildlife population densities in the Laikipia region rank second to the Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya and the area supports more endangered mammals than anywhere else in East Africa, including a number of rare northern species such as the endemic Jackson's hartebeest, Grevy's zebra (80% of the population is found in Laikipia), and reticulated giraffe. Laikipia also boasts the second highest population of elephant in Kenya with around 6000 resident in the area, of which several hundred can be seen on Sosian at one time. After being exterminated from Laikipia in the early 1900s, endangered wild dog returned in 2000 and five years later, there were over 150 living in the Laikipia and Samburu areas. We now have a resident pack of Wild Dog on Sosian who roam between 3 ranches in the area and whom we monitor closely and we are optimistic they will breed on the ranch soon.
Sosian is a member of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF), working to protect Laikipia's wildlife through sustainable land use such as tourism. The ranch has encouraged the return of wild game to the area by removing all its fences to allow wildlife to move freely through the ranch and by providing security teams who patrol and control poaching. It is home to a wide diversity of wildlife and birds, including four (elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard) of the ‘Big Five’ and endangered species such as the wild dogs and cheetahs. As the Laikipia Wildlife Forum points out, “Laikipia’s biodiversity is globally unique, yet remarkably Laikipia is not a protected area and its wildlife is entirely sustained by private landowners.“
70 species of mammal, over 30 species of reptile and over 300 species of birds can be found on Sosian and the scope for exploring the ranch in so many different ways makes this such a special place to experience Africa. It is not just what you will see whilst you are here at Sosian but the way in which you see it. Sosian Activities |
