In 1979 there were roughly 130 Rothschild’s giraffe left in Kenya. The Giraffe Centre in Langata was set up that year to change the number, and its breeding programme has since returned a substantial population to protected areas around the country. Revenue from visitors now pays for conservation education for Kenyan schoolchildren.
What you come for is the raised feeding platform, which puts you level with the giraffes’ heads, close enough to hand them pellets and, if you are willing, to take the kiss they are famous for. A self-guided boardwalk runs into the neighbouring Gogo River Bird Sanctuary, and a group of warthogs has the run of the grounds. Short, memorable, and hard to beat in Nairobi if you have children with you. Entrance fees, transfers, drinking water and a guide are included.
