The Nation
January 17, 2009

Soysambu Conservancy has a variety of stunning physical features and boasts the largest concentration of elands in the country.

“You are the first people to climb this hill,” says Monsieur Jean François Damon of Ol Jolai hill on Soysambu Conservancy. It’s dusk, and the blazing sun is sinking in the horizon as we trek through the dry, bleached grass littered with yellow fever acacia in bright yellow flower and scattered gerardii. From the top, the view is awesome, with the leleshwa plains spread out below, dotted with hills and the two alkaline lakes of the Great Rift, Nakuru and Elementeita. Night falls within minutes and a small fire is lit. The silence of the plains is interrupted by the squawking of the flamingoes flying above us, migrating between the fresh-water Naivasha to quench their thirst and lakes Elementeita and Nakuru to feed on the precious algae and crustaceans. […]

“This land is too fragile for anything other than wildlife,” says Damon, an economist by training and 17th Century European art dealer. He and his wife had been visiting Africa for 30 years and their desire to live here was so strong that when an opportunity arose, they seized it enthusiastically to establish small, exclusive camps on the conservancy to preserve the stunning ecosystem for future generations. They did it in collaboration with local communities like the Maasai.

To read the full article click here.