The Nairobi Giraffe Center : The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Giraffe Center locally known as The Nairobi Giraffe Center is not only an amazing site to visit in Nairobi City but a thrilling conservation center playing a pivotal role in conserving the critically endangered Rothschild giraffe. These giraffes are very different from the other giraffe sub-species as they have no patterning below the knee.
The Nairobi Giraffe Center was funded by Betty and Jock Leslie Melville in 1979 – a grandson of a Scottish Earl, after raising a Rothschild giraffe, Daisy in their Langata home.
Location of The Nairobi Giraffe Center
The Nairobi Giraffe Center is set in Nairobi’s outskirts, in the suburb of Langatta, the center is just a short drive from the city centre.
A visit to the Nairobi Giraffe Center can be included with an early morning game drive in the Nairobi National Park– the closest national park to any capital city. Also you can visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Elpehant Orphanage between 11 am and 12 pm when the baby elephants hurtle into the shelter for milk.
The Nairobi Giraffe Center has a raised wooden structure (giraffe height) from where you can watch all the giraffes up – close and hand feed them. You may also observe warthogs as they sniff at their hooves, scavenging on the fallen pallets.
The Nairobi Giraffe Center is currently a home to 7 female and 3 male giraffes, six were born at the center while the fore were translocated from different parks and nature conservancies across Kenya.
Each of these giraffes as a name as below
- Betty – Named after the founder of the center and it is the oldest of the tower at 17 years.
- Kelly – the tallest of the female and identified by her light – brown coat.
- Daisy IV – she is known to butt heads against guests which is why visitors should be careful while in its presence, generally Daisy is a darling though she is choosy about who she shows affection to.
- Salma II – she is a feisty individual with more white on her coast than the rest, Salma II is known for wanting attention.
- Margaret – she has a shimmery light brown coat just like her mother Kelly and she has the same personality like her mother. To get Margaret’s attention and affection you have to have a fistful of feed for her.
- Edd – he is the biggest of the tower, the father to all the calves in the center and is the friendliest. Edd stands at a whipping 18 ft(5.4 meters) tall, he is 8 years old and loves people just as much as he loves his off springs.
- Nandi – is a 2 years old calf to Stacey, she is named after the Nandi Flame Tree or the Africa Tuliptree
- Mpingo – is a 1 year old calf to Daisy, he is easy to spot as she is bigger and darker of all the other calves around. Regarless of her size, she is the second youngest of the calves. As of now, there is 4 calves from 3 cows (female Giraffes at the center)
- Lilly – she is the youngest of the tower at the Giraffe center, she is barely a year old and she is just like her mother Stacey. She is harder to see and she likes staying far from the platform area.
- Olerai – he is one year old and gets his name from the Maasai Community as they call acacia tree “Olerai”, he is the light skinned male calf to Kelly.
- Mtwapa – she is a new bord to Kelly and is the Sweet Pea flower, she was named by the center’s online guests after The Nairobi Giraffe Center request for a vote.
The Nairobi Giraffe Center
In addition to giraffes, The Nairobi Giraffe Center is a home to warthogs.
FAQ “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” ABOUT THE NAIROBI GIRAFFE CENTER
How do I get to the Giraffe Centre?
Nairobi Giraffe Center is located on Nyumbi Road, off Duma Road in Nairobi’s Lang’ata suburb, from Nairobi’s City, the center is about 15 kilometers.
What time do the center open?
The Nairobi Giraffe Center is open from 09: Am to 5:00 pm every day including weekends and all public holidays, for school visits, schools are advised to book a free visit one week in advance.
What forms of payment can I use?
Only payments via M-Pesa, Visa or Mastercard are accepted.
How much do I pay to enter the Giraffe Centre?
Visitors are very welcome to support The Nairobi Giraffe Center by visiting the center and getting to know the giraffes, rates for The Nairobi Giraffe Center are as below
Non-Resident Adults – Ksh. 1,500 (approx. $15.00)
Non-Resident Children – Ksh. 750 (approx. $7.50)
Resident Adults – Ksh. 400
Resident Children – Ksh. 200
Free for Children under 3 yrs of age
Please note that we are only taking payments via Credit card, Debit card or MPESA Payments.
From what ages do you consider your children’s rates?
Visitors categorized as children are between 3 to 12 years, student below 23 years with a valid Student Identification Card (ID) from a recognized learning institution and also pay a student fee.
What kind of identification is sufficient to qualify as a resident?
To qualify as a resident you will need to provide Kenyan or East Africa identification, at the center the regular ID, passport or alien card is accepted.
What are your peak hours?
The peak hours at the center are between 11 AM to 1 PM on weekdays, weekends and public holidays are busy throughout the day.
How long should we factor to spend at the centre?
To get a fulfilling experience, it is recommended you visit the center for a 1.5 to 2 hours visit, this will give you enough time to feed and interact with the giraffes, take a walk in the serene Nature Conservancy and even have a snack at the center’s Tea House
For a fulfilling experience, we recommend you plan for a 1.5 to two hour visit. This gives you enough time to feed and interact with the giraffes, attend an informative lecture on the giraffe and other wildlife, take a walk in our serene Nature Conservancy and even have a snack at our Tea House.
Can I purchase a gift card or gift certificate?
As a visitor, you can ask for any of those at our gift shop and our attendants will assist you.
How can I help support the work you do?
90% of the funds collected from the entrance fees and sales in our gift shop and Tea House go towards the center’s conservation work. By visiting the center or making a purchase at the shop and the Tea House, you contribute towards a school trip of our other efforts. You can also donate towards the center.
