As of March 2018, only two female northern white rhinos remain after the death of Sudan, the last remaining male. Sir David Attenborough described the death of the last male northern white rhino as “another catastrophe and another warning signal” (BBC News, 2018). The remaining females live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and are protected by 24/7 armed guards.
Ol Pejeta is a virtual reality experience, aimed at Key Stage 4 pupils studying towards Geography GCSE exams and is created in collaboration with National Geographic as a vocational education tool to increase knowledge of endangered animal conservation. This experience will take place in the Kenyan landscape, specifically the 90,000 acre conservation site Ol Pejeta. Users will be able to see the last two female northern white rhinos up close and have a guide from Ol Pejeta give specific facts about the animals at the conserve, including the looming extinction of the northern white rhino after ‘decades of rampant poaching for rhino horn’ (WWF, 2021).
Additionally, Ol Pejeta will include VR chimpanzees, as real-life Ol Pejeta is a rehabilitation sanctuary to animals which have been rescued from the black market. Concurrently, this VR experience will offer general information regarding ethical tourism, damaged environments and natural habitats, covered on both AQA and GCSE syllabuses, as to progress geographical issues for students aged 14-16.
Start our first edition of Ol Pejeta: The VR Experience here or using the QR code below:
(NOTE: Ol Pejeta currently only includes the WJEC learning mode as a prototype, and other modes will be added upon the completion of the experience)