A 197-kilometre drive to Central Kenya from Nairobi takes you to Solio Game Reserve popular for its huge rhino population. A valley sandwiched between the Aberdare Ranges and the slopes of Mt Kenya houses Solio Ranch in the Laikipia Plateau. The snow-peaked scenery of Mt Kenya and the breathtaking forested ranges in the Aberdare are inviting.
Apart from the comfort nature provides at the ranch, this game reserve is a gem for African wildlife. You learn, enjoy and appreciate the sights of rhinos which were on the verge of extinction over a decade ago. Kenya has a population of 1,780 eastern black rhinos and southern white rhinos as of 2024.
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Solio Game Reserve History
What is presently Solio Game Reserve started as a prolific cattle ranch in 1970. It would later get its name from a respected Maasai chief called Solio. Courtland Parfet, a white settler stayed on after Kenya attained independence in 1963 and took on cattle rearing in the private conservancy.
Solio Ranch also known as Solio Game Reserve is a globally successful rhino breeding sanctuary in Nyeri. Photo/Africa Safari Trips
However, the Parfets dedicated 13,500 acres to conservation efforts a few years after acquiring the land. An alarming decrease in the black rhino population in the 1960s jolted the family to apportion its land towards protecting rhinos. There were only 400 rhinos in Kenya by 1990, a sharp decrease from the reported 18,000 in 1960. Rhino poaching in Kenya and abroad led to a dramatic decrease in the global world population of rhinos.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenya Armed Forces joined hands with the Parfet family to protect the remaining rhinos. Parfet graciously set aside 13,500 acres of his land for rhino conservation and later as a breeding reserve. The apportioned land was fenced off to reduce human-wildlife conflict and poaching. Refugee black rhinos from various parks across the country were relocated to Solio Game Reserve between 1970 and 1980 as a permanent sanctuary.
More wildlife came to the sanctuary by 1991 forcing the expansion of the reserve to its present 19,000 acres. Besides the many black rhinos at Solio Ranch, you will also spot the following wild animals.
- Leopards
- Gazelles
- Zebras
- Buffalos
- Gerenuk
- Elephants
- Warthogs
- Thompson’s Gazelle
- Waterbuck
- Serval cats
How Many Rhinos are in Solio Ranch?
There are 250 rhinos at Solio Game Reserve. Photo/BBC
About 250 rhinos live in Solio which is now a reputable private conservancy dedicated to rhino breeding. A crash of 20-40 rhinos is easy to spot at any time you visit the game reserve which speaks a lot to its success as a breeding reserve. Wildlife conservationists and enthusiasts alike get a unique thrill at Solio Game Reserve courtesy of a terrific rhino population.
White and black rhinos top the Big Five list are majestic, territorial and aggressive when threatened. You learn about their behaviour through game safari drives and guided safari walks in the reserve. What’s surprising is that there is no colour variation between black and white rhinos.
The only distinction between the two is their size. White rhinos are bigger than black rhinos. They [white] have a wider body with square-shaped lips for foraging. On the other hand, a hooked lip and a narrower body characterize black rhinos. In addition, white rhinos feed in thick bushes while black rhinos feed in open grasslands.
Lastly, rhinos are aggressive but, white rhinos have a lower degree of aggression making it easier to see and come close to. They move in crashes [groups of rhinos] while black rhinos prefer to be solitary therefore; they’re more aggressive.
Giraffes at Solio Game Reserve. Photo/Stars of Africa
Which Activities are at Solio Reserve?
The classy Solio Lodge, a homey establishment in the middle of this sanctuary has exciting activities for guests. They include the following:
Helicopter Rides
Viewing wildlife in style is one of the exclusive packages of the privately owned Solio Ranch. An aerial view of wildlife within the 17,000-acre is epic and refreshing.
Horse and Bike Rides
The Parfet Family offer horse rides to guests. Horse ride safaris are incredible; you simultaneously enjoy nature and wildlife offerings. Adrenaline-driven wildlife enthusiasts have bikes to cris-cross the width and breadth of the ranch.
Solio Game Reserve remains an untold story of nature’s beauty and the success of rhino conservation. The selflessness of the Parfet family is another takeaway of how a good deed can transform things for future generations to learn and have fun.
