Super User 13 September 2023

Best Travel Guide To Giraffe Center/ Manor Boutique Hotel In Nairobi, Kenya.

Located near the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery, the Giraffe Center is a must-visit attraction near Nairobi National Park. The Center is devoted to the rehabilitation and reintroduction of the Rothschild Giraffe to the wildlife Parks of Kenya. As part of a visit, the staff explain their work during a 15- to 20-minute overview.

A visit to the Center allows you to get up close and personal with these gentle giants. Equipped with your very own bowl of giraffe food, you'll be able to feed these curious creatures. The feeding area is on a raised platform, which puts you close to the head height of the giraffes, who will stoop down slightly and extend their giant blackish, grey tongues to scoop up what you have on offer. Although perhaps not as beautiful as the giraffes, several warthogs also roam the property and are also willing to eat the giraffe food should you be inclined to share with them.

For 40 years, the Centre has saved and restored the population of this endangered sub-species of giraffe. At the same time, it has provided opportunities for its millions of visitors to be delighted and informed about these special creatures.

Climb the feeding platform and offer a food pellet to one of the Centre’s giraffes. Or, stop at the Information Centre to learn how these endangered animals are being taken care of, bred, and eventually released back into the wild.

There’s even a winding Nature Trail here for spotting birds, warthogs, dik-dik, and more.

Giraffe Center/ Manor Boutique Hotel Location:

The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Giraffe Centre, commonly known as the Giraffe Centre is located in Langata, Kenya on the outskirts of Nairobi City, the Capital of Kenya. It was established mainly to conserve the critically endangered Rothschild Giraffe found in East Africa.

Giraffe Center/ Manor Boutique Hotel History and Background:

The Center was started in 1979 by Jock Leslie Melville (Grandson of a Scottish Earl), and his wife Betty who started a breeding program with two-captured baby giraffes that they raised on their Langata property. The Center was mainly for visiting and providing conservation education to urban school children but later rose to a tourist destination Center.

Once abundant throughout Africa, the giraffes’ numbers had been reduced to a mere 130. Jock and Betty brought two of the young giraffes, named Daisy and Marlon, to their expansive property in the Lang’ata suburb in Nairobi. Here they began a successful breeding program that continues to the present.

Officially, to raise funds for the project, Jock created the umbrella organization: African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW). But to its friends, donors, and visitors this unique sanctuary is known as The Giraffe Center.

The Rothschild Giraffe had gone down due to massive poaching and habitat encroachment and a few were remaining in the wild, but the program has had a big success and with the conservation efforts taken, their numbers have since gone up and several breeding pairs of Rothschild Giraffes have been introduced into Kenyan National parks.

Shortly after founding the sanctuary, Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville realized the importance of educating the children of Kenya about their heritage and the conservation of its wildlife. So, an environmental education center was opened in 1983 and free tours were offered to Kenya’s next generation. Every year over 50,000 youngsters learn about the giraffe along with conservation ideas about protecting the environment.

This is in addition to the 40,000 visitors from the general public who come each year to be entertained and enlightened through the Centre’s many resources.

Visitors learn how the giraffe calves are nurtured and released into the wild when they are two to three years old and strong enough to survive.

To date, more than 40 of these centre-born and raised calves have been released into game parks and conservancies throughout Kenya.

At the Centre, one gets to watch Giraffes up close and visitors can feed them from the raised observation points. The Centre is home to Warthogs, which freely move around in the area alongside the Giraffes.

The Centre is easily accessible as it is located just 20 km from Nairobi city center and accommodation is in plenty ranging from basic to luxurious.

Giraffe Center/ Manor Boutique Hotel Activities to Do and See:

Tea House– In addition to its feeding platform, giraffe watching and nature trails, The Centre offers more giraffe viewing from its Tea House, with refreshments and relaxing vistas.

Daisy Zoovenir Shop – Named for Daisy – one of The Centre’s original inhabitants – the gift shop is a popular stop for memorabilia. The Centre gets 90 percent of its revenue from entrance fees and sales from the gift shop.

Books, Posters & Literature – The Centre creates a variety of informative materials such as its Nature Trail Guidebook, manuals on conservation practices, and environmental awareness posters.

Giraffe Manor – Located adjacent to the Giraffe Centre, this Tudor-style boutique hotel may be the most unique accommodation in the world. Here it is not unusual to enjoy breakfast as a towering giraffe sticks its head through the window to inspect your eggs and toast.

Giraffe Center/ Manor Boutique Hotel Access:

The Centre is easily accessible as it is located just 20 km from Nairobi city center and accommodation is in plenty ranging from basic to luxurious.

Arrange and Book with ULTIMATE WILD SAFARIS to have this wonderful experience at the Giraffe Center in Kenya.

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