Giraffe Center Tour Nairobi
Giraffe Centre Tour Nairobi – 3 hours
You are picked up from your Nairobi Hotel and transferred to the Giraffe Centre to enjoy this marvel. It is situated 30 minutes’ drive from the Nairobi City Centre.
The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Kenya (A.F.E.W.) owners are the idea behind this non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1979. The noble endeavor to save the endangered Rothschild Giraffe which had lost its natural habitat to agriculture and human settlement.
There were only 130 left in the wild. The giraffes were later moved to Lake Nakuru National Park, Mwea Game Reserve, Ruma National Park and Nasalot Game Reserve. The Rothschild Giraffe population in Kenya has to date increased to more than 500.
Here you can climb to the top of a platform and stand eye to eye with the giraffes, feed them with small pellets or go for a gentle meander on a serene forest trail. Not only do they accept your offering, but you may also be rewarded with a kiss.
A staff member is nearby with a bucket of giraffe pellets, and they’ll give you a handful. You’re instructed to feed the giraffes one pellet at a time, though some giraffes get a little impatient and will swipe your whole handful with a flick of their tongue. The conservation center now operates conservation/education programs for Kenyan school children.
Hand feeding giraffes is an education in itself. You will see, close at hand, how they use their long, prehensile tongues to remove leaves from prickly acacia branches.
The center’s giraffe population wander freely through the lush gardens and pay an occasional visit to the house itself.
Some of the unique experiences while here include the giraffe pushing their heads through the French windows to inspect the breakfast tables. Such a close encounter with the Rothschild giraffe gives a chance to appreciate of just how beautiful these creatures are.
But the giraffes are bred, raised until they are 2-3 years of age and old enough to survive on their own, then placed in a safe area in seclusion where they learn to feed themselves before eventually being taken to the wild. To date, 40 Rothschild giraffes born at the center have been re-located to the wild.
There are usually around 20 Rothschild giraffes at the Giraffe Centre at any one time, which is the maximum capacity that the center can accommodate to give them the food sources and space giraffes need. You won’t interact with 20 giraffes, though.
Only a handful are social. And it’s a good thing, because it minimizes the human interaction and giraffes’ association of humans with food.
Later, you are transferred back to your Hotel or to another excursion venue.