The Giraffe Sanctuary

A great fun trip to do in Nairobi, when you don't want to go very far, is the Giraffe Sanctuary in Langata, near the Hardy Dukas.

This sanctuary was created to protect the Rothschild giraffe. These giraffes were extremely endangered before Jock Leslie Melvie (guess where he originates from) decided to save them. He and his wife lived in what can only be described as a massive Scotish-style country house. (Perhaps mahoosive, better describes this house which is now one of the most luxurious hotels in Kenya). There were at the time only 130 of these giraffes left, now there are 400 and they have been reintroduced to the wild again.

Rothschild giraffes are different from the Masai and Reticulated (Ridiculous) giraffes and are easy to spot.

Ridiculous giraffes have regulated spots, pretty much square, in a formal pattern (reticulated you might say). Masai giraffes' spots are squiggly, and not regular at all. Rothschild giraffes are like Ridiculous giraffes, but they have pretty socks. Like the good old colonial gentlemen, they have knee socks in a fetching shade of yellow.

If you are loaded you can stay in Giraffe Manor and have a giraffe sticking its head through the window to say hi at breakfast time.

If you're not loaded you can go to the sanctuary and feed the giraffes and learn all about them. There is also an info centre here which gives a Kenyan view to the various wildlife issues. There was a film I watched with my parents about the elephant culling in South Africa which I wouldn't recommend to the faint-hearted. but every other time I went there it was brilliant. (Even the culling film was very informative and interesting explaining the different views there are on this, and why Kenya has decided never to cull, even in times of severe drought, but I couldn't take that much of it).

You can feed the giraffes from the viewing platform with dog nuts. Did you know that giraffe's have blue tongues? They also have saliva that is really antibiotic as they are always cutting their tongues on thorn trees. Well I'll leave you to find out about the other cool things, including the warthogs, so that you have a reason to go there.

It's also a great place to go for a walk, if you, like me, struggle to find places to walk due to lack of secure parking and places off the road that are safe enough. It's certainly not a long walk, but you can wander about freely away from a road, and that's rare enough. There is also a rather odd cafe here if you want a bit of a cultural experience.

Other stories.

- NAIROBI BASED

Muthaiga Country Club

Haandi's Restaurant

Talisman

Veranda

Going Out In Nairobi

Playing Hockey in Kenya

Daphne's Elephant Orphanage

- SAFARIS OF VARIOUS SORTS (all DIY)

Lake Magadi and Shompole

From Mt Kenya to Samburu

Loisaba, Heaven in the North of Kenya

Amboseli - under the shadow on Kilimanjaro

Climbing Mt Kenya

Longonot - a bit of an adventure

- THE COAST

Save the Starfish of Kenya's Coast

Tiwi Beach and the Coast

Diani Rules


- VARYING BITS OF ADVICE

What to Pack in Your Safari Trunk

How not to drive off-road

Weather in Kenya

How to Build a Pergola

Elephant Diaries

I’m just watching an update about the elephants at Daphne’s elephant orphanage. It’s a brilliant programme which you should try and see at all costs. It’s a BBC programme, called ‘Elephant Diaries’, it was shown during the whole Make Poverty History campaign last year. It really does justice to the amazing work that the orphanage does.

I obviously can't put BBC material here, but I found another video to give you a taster, though I'd really recommend the Elephant Diaries programme.



The only problem with this programme, and actually what has spurred me on to write this, even though I’ve been working at a computer all day, is Jonathan Scott. He’s that guy from the Big Cat Diaries who you are really pleased get pissed on by the leopard. I had to leave the room while he tried to convince viewers that his meeting with the matriarch of the Tsavo herd was vitally significant. He tries to say that he was being really brave being out of the car while Emily came to see who he was. He really is a brave man- Emily was brought up by humans, she spent two years of her life being petted every day by fifty Kenyan school children, who don’t show any of the trepidation that he said he felt.

Michaela does half of the presenting which is a relief as she presents really well. Edwin, the head keeper, comes over very well, as do the other keepers. The whole organisation is incredible and it’s fantastic that the BBC are promoting it. Please though, if anyone who reads this has any clout, please please please no more Jonathan Scott. If we could do away with some of the dramatic music too then it would be really beneficial.

Please click on the link at the top of this page, I'm not going to try to outdo the Orphanage's own website which is brilliant. (Click on the title ' Elephant Diaries' . I'd advise getting a cup of tea and allowing yourself the luxury of reading some of the stories on the website. They are stories of struggle and (hopefully) survival and are extremely moving. I really think it would be great if you could be moved to donate to this fabulous cause too.

If you're in Kenya, this orphanage is a must-see. It's open between 11-12 every day and it's in Nairobi National Park, on the way to Ongata Rongai. Don't be late as you need to see every minute of it.