Suyian Conservancy, named after the African wild dog in the local Maa language, lies in the heart of Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau: a 44,000-acre expanse of wild escarpments, grasslands, acacia woodlands, and riverine forests. Today, it is one of Kenya’s most inspiring conservation success stories.
The land’s modern history began in 1963, when Will Powys, an English sheep farmer from Dorset, purchased what was then called Il Pinguone Ranch. At the time, the property supported over 40,000 sheep, with wool harvested and shipped to Sheffield. In the years that followed, his Kenyan-born son, Gilfrid Powys, took over management and transitioned Suyian into a cattle ranch, raising Boran cattle to supply beef to the domestic market.
Wildlife was present but unwelcome. Predators were seen as a threat to livestock, and elephants were almost never seen on the plateau. That changed in the 1970s. As poaching intensified in northern Kenya, elephants fled southward and found refuge in Laikipia’s vast private ranchlands. Over time, they stayed – and today, Laikipia is home to Kenya’s second-largest elephant population.
Gilfrid was among the first landowners to adapt. Initially resistant to the destruction elephants brought – tearing up fences and water pipes – he came to embrace their presence. With encouragement from conservationists and the growing opportunities from tourism, he pioneered a new approach: one that balanced livestock farming with thriving ecosystems. He introduced regenerative cattle practices, championed community-based conservation, and became a powerful voice for nature.
His dedication lasted a lifetime. In 2017, Gilfrid was tragically killed by an elephant on the land he had worked so passionately to protect. He is buried on the rocky escarpment overlooking what is now Suyian Lodge – a place of beauty, memory, and legacy.
In the wake of his passing, Gilfrid’s daughters, Anne and Marian, sought to ensure the long-term protection of Suyian. They turned to Dr. Max Graham, a close family friend who had once lived in a small camp on Suyian while writing his PhD at Cambridge University on human-elephant conflict. Max, like Will Powys, was also born in Dorset, England, but has made Kenya his home. By then, he had founded Space for Giants, an international conservation organisation working to protect natural ecosystems and ensure they are valued by people.
With the generosity of the Powys family and a transformational gift from philanthropist Louis Bacon and his wife, Sarah Woodhead Bacon – whose shared commitment to conservation helped make this possible – Space for Giants established Suyian Conservancy, which it placed under the protection of a Kenyan conservation trust. Max serves as Chair of the Board, and Space for Giants as the Trust’s Protector, holding ultimate responsibility while providing strategic oversight and helping to ensure that Suyian’s vision remains enduring and ambitious.
Under Space for Giants’ stewardship, Suyian has focused on restoring habitats, improving rangeland health, and managing wildlife through data-driven monitoring. Livestock is used strategically to support grazing regimes that benefit both biodiversity and pasture quality.
Suyian supports nearby communities through education initiatives, local employment, grazing access, and contributions to regional security. It also helps manage the Laikipia Fence to reduce human-wildlife conflict and provides training to Kenyan guides, naturalists, and local pastoralists through dedicated courses.
A world-class tourism partnership with &Beyond has now brought further energy and investment to the land. Suyian Lodge, which opened in 2025, anchors a tourism enterprise that helps fund conservation and welcomes guests into a sanctuary where history, wilderness, and vision come together.
Suyian remains a tribute to the past, a model for the present, and a promise to the future. It is a place where a remarkable family legacy and a bold conservation vision have come together to protect one of Kenya’s most extraordinary landscapes.
