Mugie Conservancy

Mugie has preserved and increased its population of critically endangered Grevys zebra and Jackson’s Hartebeests. Through their preservation of the delicate ecosystem, the sanctuary has boosted populations of lion, dik dik, Impala, waterbuck, oryx, elephant, giraffe, cape buffalo, eland, as well as over two hundred unique bird species.

The birdlife ranges from rarely seen bustards, flamboyant starlings, arid land birds such as sand grouse to tropical forest birds such as turacos and trogons.

There are more activities:

• Golf
• Bush walk
• Night and day game drives

Mugie is one of the core study areas of the ‘Laikipia Predator Project’, a research study aimed at improving the conservation of large carnivores throughout Africa.

Across most of Africa, people have eradicated predators such as lions, wild dogs and hyenas, largely because theses animals are a threat to livestock. With human densities rising, even predators living inside national parks are threatened as reserve border areas are developed and settled.

Laikipia District is one of the few areas where people, livestock and predators coexist. The Laikipia Predator Project is aimed at understanding how such coexistence is possible. By studying the threat that predators pose to people’s livelihoods, and the threat that human activities pose to predators, the aim is to identify techniques & animal husbandry management practises that can be used to reduce the drastic rate of decline in the numbers of these now endangered animals.

On Mugie the project focuses mainly on lions, which come into the most serious conflict with livestock owners resulting in unlawful killing of them and other predators.