Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (Kenya)

Photo credit: Lolldaiga Conservancy Limited

In 2021, the Wyss Foundation provided an $18,000,000 grant to The Nature Conservancy to acquire the Lolldaiga Hills Ranch, creating a private conservancy in the heart of Kenya’s Laikipia County. At closing, the Lolldaiga Conservancy Trust was established, ensuring the land’s long-term conservation to benefit people and wildlife. A wildlife conservation easement also protects the property.

Lolldaiga Hills Ranch is uniquely situated at the interface of higher-elevation montane forests and lower savannah grasslands, a contrast that creates vibrant scenery and significant biodiversity. The area has rolling hills, montane cedar and olive forests, and open grassland. It also provides habitat for a wide diversity of species, including 106 species of mammals and 405 species of birds. Large herds of buffalo, eland, and elephants are regular frequenters of the property. The ecosystem supports various predators, including lions, hyenas, and jackals. Establishing the conservancy ensured the permanent protection of this biodiverse Kenyan landscape from the threat of development.

This conservation success was made possible through the work of grantee The Nature Conservancy.