The Giraffe Centre in Nairobi is a small conservation sanctuary in the suburb of Langata where you can stand on a raised platform at a giraffe's eye level and feed a Rothschild's giraffe from your hand, and it is also the place where a rescue programme began that helped bring the Rothschild's giraffe back from the edge. It is a short drive from the city centre, it takes about an hour or two, and it suits families, first-time visitors and anyone with a free morning in Nairobi. This guide explains what the Giraffe Centre is, how the visit works, what it costs, why the sanctuary exists, how to combine it with Nairobi National Park and the elephant nursery and who it suits. People also search for the same place as Giraffe Centre Nairobi, AFEW Giraffe Centre, feed giraffes Nairobi, Rothschild's giraffe Kenya, Langata giraffe sanctuary and things to do in Nairobi with kids.
Quick answer
What is the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi? It is a sanctuary run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW Kenya), a Kenyan non-profit founded in 1979 by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, which opened to the public in 1983 on a 60-acre site in Langata, about 40 minutes by road from the city centre. Visitors climb to a feeding platform, hand pellets to Rothschild's giraffes, walk a 1.5-kilometre nature trail and learn about the species from educators. The centre is open daily from about 9 am to 5 pm, a visit takes one to two hours, and non-resident adult entry is in the region of KSh 1,500, with lower rates for children and East African residents.
The Giraffe Centre at a glance
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Where | Langata, Nairobi, about 40 minutes by road from the city centre |
| Run by | African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW Kenya), a Kenyan non-profit |
| Founded | 1979 by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville; opened to the public in 1983 |
| Size | About 60 acres |
| Animals | Rothschild's giraffes, plus warthogs and many birds on the trail |
| Main experience | Feeding giraffes from a raised platform |
| Nature trail | About 1.5 km, included in the entry fee |
| Open | Daily, about 9 am to 5 pm |
| Time needed | One to two hours |
| Adult entry (non-resident) | In the region of KSh 1,500; children aged 3 to 12 about half; under 3 free; lower rates for East African residents |
Chapter 01 — What is the Giraffe Centre?
The Giraffe Centre is a wildlife sanctuary and education centre on the edge of Nairobi, in the leafy suburb of Langata. It is run by AFEW Kenya, the Kenyan branch of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, a non-profit set up to protect endangered species and to teach children about conservation. The centre has a feeding platform, a browsing area, a nature trail, a gift shop and a tea house, and it is built around a small herd of Rothschild's giraffes that live in the sanctuary.
It is not a zoo or a safari park. The giraffes are free to move around a large enclosure and to come to the platform or stay away, and the experience is built around the animals' own behaviour. About 90 per cent of the centre's funds come from entry fees and from sales in the gift shop and tea house, so your visit pays for the conservation and education work. Our Nairobi National Park guide places the centre among the other wildlife attractions of the capital.
Chapter 02 — Why the sanctuary exists
Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville founded AFEW in 1979, at a time when the Rothschild's giraffe had fallen to a very small wild population, concentrated in a small area of western Kenya. They raised a young giraffe at their home in Nairobi and then began a breeding programme to save the subspecies. The centre opened to the public in 1983 as a way to fund the work and to teach Kenyan schoolchildren about wildlife.
The programme has bred Rothschild's giraffes and released more than 40 of them into national parks and conservancies, helping to re-establish populations in places where they had been lost. The centre's own account says that more than 300 Rothschild's giraffes now live safely and breed in Kenyan national parks. The sanctuary remains a breeding and research base, and its education work, which reaches more than 50,000 children a year, is as important as the giraffe feeding that visitors see.
Chapter 03 — Rothschild's giraffe: the animal
Rothschild's giraffe is one of the tallest and most distinctive of the giraffes. It has large, irregular, dark patches that fade to pale lower legs, so that it looks as if it is wearing white socks, and the patches are separated by cream-coloured lines. Males can reach about five and a half metres, and a giraffe's neck, like ours, has only seven vertebrae, each one very long. The tongue is dark and prehensile, up to about 45 centimetres long, and is used to strip leaves from thorny acacia.
Rothschild's giraffe is also called the Baringo or Ugandan giraffe, and in some classifications it is treated as a subspecies of the northern giraffe. The taxonomy of giraffes is being revised, so you will see the names used in different ways. The IUCN's 2018 assessment listed it as Near Threatened, with about 1,399 mature individuals in the wild. Wild populations live in protected areas in Kenya and Uganda, and about 60 per cent are in Uganda. You can see wild Rothschild's giraffes at Murchison Falls and Lake Nakuru, and the Giraffe Centre is part of the reason they are there.
Chapter 04 — How the visit works
You enter through the gate, pay the entry fee and walk to the feeding platform, a raised wooden structure that brings you level with the giraffes' heads. An educator gives you a handful of pellets, made of corn, wheat, grass and molasses, and explains how to feed them. You hold out the pellets, and a giraffe curls its long tongue around your hand and takes them. The giraffes are gentle, curious and used to people, and the experience is a memorable first encounter with the size and the grace of these animals.
Beyond the platform there is a browsing area on the ground, where you can stand close to the animals, and a short exhibit that explains the centre's history and the biology of the species. You can take as many photographs as you like, but keep a firm grip on your phone and sunglasses, because a giraffe will investigate anything near its face. Children are welcome, and the educators are good at engaging them.
Chapter 05 — The nature trail and the warthogs
Behind the platform, a trail of about 1.5 kilometres loops through the surrounding woodland, and walking it is included in the entry fee. It is a quiet complement to the main attraction, with birdsong, tall trees and a chance of seeing smaller animals, and the return route passes the Warthog Den. The trail is good for birds: the centre records dozens of species along it in a single stroll.
The trail takes 30 to 45 minutes at a gentle pace. It is flat and easy, but the ground can be wet after rain, so wear closed shoes. The centre also runs a birding experience on the last Saturday of each month, which you can ask us to include if your dates fit. It is a good addition if you travel with a birdwatcher, and our birding safari guide explains the wider picture.
Chapter 06 — Conservation education
Education is a core part of the centre's work. School groups visit for free, if they book at least a week ahead, and the centre says it reaches more than 50,000 children a year. Ecology trips start at Nairobi National Park and end at the Giraffe Centre, and the centre also runs teacher training, an environmental competition and demonstration projects with local communities.
A visit supports that work in two ways: your entry fee helps fund the free school programmes, and your presence shows that wildlife attracts visitors. If you are travelling with children, ask the educators about the school programmes and the animals' stories, and explain to your own children why the giraffes are there. Our guide to responsible and sustainable safari travel explains how to choose conservation-minded experiences across East Africa.
Chapter 07 — Fees and opening hours
The centre sets its own entry fees, and they are separate from the Kenya Wildlife Service's park fees, because the Giraffe Centre is not a KWS park. Non-resident adults pay in the region of KSh 1,500, which is about USD 12, and children aged 3 to 12 pay about half. Children under 3 are free. East African residents, meaning citizens or work-permit holders of the East African Community countries, pay a much lower rate. School groups visit free of charge when they book at least a week in advance.
The centre is normally open every day from about 9 am to 5 pm, with the last entry a little before closing, though it can close for special events and holidays, so we check on the day. Card and mobile payments are generally accepted. Your written quote shows the fees for your dates, and we handle the booking and the payment. For the fees in the national parks nearby, our Nairobi National Park guide has the figures.
Chapter 08 — When to go
The Giraffe Centre can be visited all year, and the giraffes are there in every season. The best time of day is the morning, when the weather is cool, the crowds are lighter and the giraffes are most active. Weekends and school holidays are the busiest, and the platform can be crowded, so a weekday visit is easier if your plan allows it.
Rain does not have to stop a visit, because the experience is outdoors and the giraffes are used to it, but bring a light waterproof. The long rains of March to May and the short rains of October and November can make the nature trail muddy. Our best time to visit Kenya guide explains the seasons across the country.
Chapter 09 — How to get to the Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre is in Langata, south-west of the city centre, and the drive takes about 40 minutes from central Nairobi in normal traffic. It is easy to reach from the leafy suburbs of Karen and Langata, where many visitors stay, and it is not far from Nairobi National Park's Langata gate. Traffic in Nairobi can be heavy at rush hour, so we plan the visit for mid-morning or early afternoon.
Most visitors go with a driver-guide as part of a half-day or full-day tour, which also covers the park and other attractions. We arrange the transfer and the timing, and we recommend leaving enough margin if you are connecting with a flight. Our flight logistics guide shows how we plan arrival and departure days.
Chapter 10 — Combining the Giraffe Centre with Nairobi National Park and the elephant nursery
The Giraffe Centre sits within a short drive of three other Nairobi attractions. Nairobi National Park is a 117-square-kilometre national park that begins about 7 kilometres from the city centre, and it holds lions, rhinos, giraffes and many other species. The park's Safari Walk and Animal Orphanage are on its main entrance side, and the elephant nursery of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which has a public visiting hour, is reached through the park's Mbagathi gate. Our park guide explains how they fit together.
A full day can combine a morning game drive in the park, the nursery at its visiting hour and the Giraffe Centre in the afternoon, all within a radius of around 20 kilometres. A shorter plan might pair the Giraffe Centre with a drive through the park. We build the day around your flights and your interests, and we confirm the times and fees on your written quote.
Chapter 11 — Who the visit suits
The Giraffe Centre suits families with young children, who love the feeding platform and the close contact. It suits first-time visitors who want an easy introduction to Kenya's wildlife on arrival day, and travellers with a free morning or a long layover, because the visit is short. It is also good for anyone with a particular interest in conservation or education.
It is less suited to travellers who want a wild safari experience, because the giraffes are in a managed sanctuary. For the wild version, go to Lake Nakuru, Murchison Falls or one of the conservancies. Our guides to Kenya family safaris and the best age for a family safari explain how we plan trips with children.
Chapter 12 — Tips for feeding the giraffes
- Use only the pellets provided. They are made for giraffes, and other foods can harm them.
- Hold your hand flat or hold the pellet between your fingers, and let the giraffe take it.
- Keep your face back if you do not want a lick, because the tongue is long and rough.
- Secure phones, hats and sunglasses, because giraffes investigate everything near them.
- Do not touch the head or the horns unless the educator invites you to.
- Follow the educators' instructions, and keep your voice low.
- Wash your hands afterwards.
Chapter 13 — Photographing the giraffes
The platform puts you at eye level, which makes the portraits unusual. A mid-range zoom is enough, and a wide lens works well for the close-ups. Go in the morning for soft light, and use a fast shutter for the moment the giraffe takes the pellet. Keep your camera strap short and your lens cap on when you are not shooting, because a giraffe may show an interest in it.
For wild giraffes in their landscape, with a very different feel, the national parks of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda offer many opportunities. See our safari packing list for camera advice, and our Kenya safari packages for how we plan wildlife trips in Kenya.
Chapter 14 — Practical planning for the Giraffe Centre
- Go in the morning, when the weather is cool and the giraffes are active.
- Allow one to two hours for the platform and the trail.
- Avoid weekends and school holidays if you can.
- Wear closed shoes, because the trail can be muddy.
- Secure your phone and glasses on the platform.
- Bring a little cash or a card for the gift shop and the tea house.
- Pair it with Nairobi National Park for a full day.
- Allow for traffic between the centre and the airport or your hotel.
- Bring children, who usually love it.
- Ask us to plan it: we confirm the timing and fees on your written quote.
Chapter 15 — Giraffe Centre myths and mistakes
- "It is a zoo." It is a conservation sanctuary that also teaches and breeds.
- "The giraffes there are wild Rothschild's giraffes." They are a managed herd, and wild populations live in parks in Kenya and Uganda.
- "A visit is only for children." Adults enjoy it, and the conservation story is worth hearing.
- "You need half a day." One to two hours is enough.
- "The giraffe's tongue is dangerous." It is rough and wet, but harmless.
Chapter 16 — The Giraffe Centre for kids
Our verdict
The Giraffe Centre is a small place with a big story: a family that set out to save a subspecies, a sanctuary that has helped bring it back and an experience that lets a child or an adult look a giraffe in the eye. It is easy, short and affordable, and it works well on arrival or departure day, or as part of a Nairobi day with the national park and the elephant nursery. Go in the morning, allow an hour or two and pair it with a drive through the park. Tell us your dates and we will arrange the transfer, confirm the timing and itemise the fees on your written quote.
Plan your safari with us. Tell us the month you can travel, how many days you have and who is coming, and we will reply within 24 hours with a route and a written quotation.
Request a free quotation