Visit endangered Rothschild’s giraffes

Visit the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi to get up close to endangered Rothschild’s Giraffes. The centre’s mission is to breed the animals in a safe environment, releasing many into the wild at around three years old, when they can survive on their own. You’ll spend up to an hour at the 60-acre sanctuary in the Lang’ata suburb of Nairobi, meeting the animals, feeding them and learning about the centre’s invaluable work.

Created by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, the non-profit centre was founded in 1979 when there were just 130 of these beautiful animals left in the wild. The Rothschild’s is a subspecies of the giraffe that lives in East Africa’s grasslands and has a darker coat, with markings that disappear half-way down its legs. The centre’s breeding programme started with just two young calves, Daisy and Marlon, and now they’ve released over 40 giraffes into national parks and conservancies across Kenya.

Guests love getting to feed the giraffes grass pellets in the browsing area, which has a platform where the animals will come to greet you. It’s amazing to see the giraffes up close, you get to touch, feed and take photos with them – they’ll even give you a kiss! Afterwards, you can go to the information centre to listen to an educational talk about giraffe conservation and the centre’s work. The staff are highly-trained experts, so they can answer any questions you have about the animals.

Although you’ll get to see giraffes on safari, you can only get this close and personal with them at the Giraffe Centre  – it’s quite an experience. It’s great to know that your visit is helping to protect this endangered species. The giraffes are always hungry and ready to greet you at the feeding station!