A conservation and education centre in Lang'ata where visitors feed endangered Rothschild's giraffes from a raised platform
The Giraffe Centre is one of Nairobi's best-loved attractions, especially for families. From a raised wooden platform, visitors come eye to eye with Rothschild's giraffes and feed them pellets, often getting a close look at their long, dark tongues. Warthogs wander round the grounds, and a sanctuary of indigenous forest behind the centre has a nature trail for birdwatching.
Behind the fun is a serious purpose. Rothschild's giraffes are found only in parts of East Africa, and the centre's breeding programme has released giraffes into Kenyan parks and reserves. Entrance fees fund conservation education, and thousands of Kenyan schoolchildren visit every year to learn about the country's wildlife.
The centre's story began in 1979, when Jock Leslie-Melville and his American-born wife Betty learned that only around 130 Rothschild's giraffes remained on a ranch in western Kenya whose land was being subdivided. They brought two young giraffes to their home in Lang'ata to start a breeding programme and founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (Kenya) the same year.
The Giraffe Centre opened as an education centre in 1983 on a 60-acre sanctuary, welcoming hundreds of students in its first year. The breeding programme has since released more than 40 giraffes into parks and reserves across Kenya, and more than 300 Rothschild's giraffes now live in Kenyan national parks.
The centre lies in Lang'ata, a leafy residential suburb on the south-western edge of Nairobi. Its education work is aimed at Kenyan children, and school visits are free when booked ahead, so it is common to see groups of students in uniform on weekdays. Neighbouring Giraffe Manor, a historic house that is now a hotel, shares the giraffes' home range.
A visit usually takes an hour or two. Staff hand out food pellets and explain the giraffes' biology and conservation story while visitors feed them from the platform, and there are regular talks for groups. Afterwards many people walk the trail through the nature sanctuary, have a drink at the tea house or browse the gift shop, whose proceeds go to conservation. The centre is easy to combine with the Karen Blixen Museum and Nairobi National Park on the same day.
The centre is open every day of the year, so any season works. Mornings tend to be quieter than mid-afternoon, and weekdays during school terms are busy with school groups. In the rainy months, roughly April to May and November, bring a light rain jacket for the nature trail.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
The Karen Blixen Museum is a short drive west in Karen, and the main gate of Nairobi National Park and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery are a few kilometres east. The Ngong Hills rise to the south-west, and central Nairobi is about 15 km away.
Kenya · 7 nights4★ LodgeKenya · 9 nights4★ ResortThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
