Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy spans an enormous 3,400 square kilometres in the foothills of the Matthews Range, making it one of the largest community conservancies in Kenya. The conservancy is managed by the Namunyak Community Conservation Trust in partnership with the Northern Rangelands Trust.
The highlight of Namunyak is the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Africa’s first community-owned and operated elephant orphanage. Visitors can watch rescued baby elephants being rehabilitated for eventual release back into the wild. The sanctuary has become a powerful symbol of community-led conservation.
The Matthews Range offers dense cedar and podocarpus forests at higher elevations, giving way to semi-arid bush at lower levels. This habitat diversity supports wild dogs, elephants, lions, buffalo, and rare species including striped hyena and aardvark. Guided walks through the forest with Samburu warriors reveal a rich botanical and avian world.