Three new giraffes

Which new giraffes arrived at the Giraffe Centre in 2026?

Three young Nubian giraffes, aged 2 to 3, moved by KWS from Soysambu Conservancy near Naivasha on 21 January 2026.

The centre announced them on its homepage: three Nubian giraffes welcomed to its breeding tower, in partnership with Soysambu Conservancy and the Kenya Wildlife Service. The animals are Rothschild's giraffes, now usually classified as the Nubian giraffe, a subspecies of the northern giraffe. You will see both names.

KWS said they would be monitored at the centre and take part in its education work for visitors and local communities.

Why did KWS move the giraffes to Nairobi?

To widen the gene pool. KWS said the move boosts genetic diversity, cuts the risk of inbreeding and supports the long-term survival of Kenya's Nubian giraffes through breeding.

“Translocations like this are critical to maintaining healthy, genetically diverse populations of endangered species,” KWS said in its statement.

The reason is geography. According to the GCF, Kenya's Nubian giraffes live only in national parks, private reserves and other protected areas, cut off from each other, so mixing the bloodlines needs human help. Every one of those populations was introduced from private land for conservation. The largest is at Ruma National Park, followed by Soysambu and Lake Nakuru, per the GCF. A small herd like the centre's benefits from fresh genes as much as any.

Can you see the new giraffes when you visit?

The centre cares for 10 giraffes, per its homepage. Which ones come to the platform is up to the giraffes, and the educators will tell you who is who.

A visit runs the same way it always has. You feed from the raised platform or at the browsing area, with pellets of corn, wheat, grass and molasses handed out by the centre's educators, and you follow the feeding notice by the payment booth. Plan 1.5 to 2 hours, per the centre, and add the 1.5 km nature trail if you have time.

Ask about Daisy IV, named after Daisy I, the centre's first giraffe in 1979. The centre has also shared a health update: Daisy IV's calf has a right front leg deformity and is receiving care with the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Bethany (Oct 2026) on the guided feeding tour: “Monica was an excellent guide, she was attentive knew the giraffes well and took amazing photos.”

How does the Giraffe Centre's breeding programme work?

Since 1979 AFEW Kenya has bred Rothschild's giraffes at Lang'ata and moved young herds out to parks and conservancies. More than 300 now live in Kenyan parks, per the centre.

It started with a rescue. By the late 1970s the giraffes had lost their habitat in western Kenya, and only 130 were left on the 18,000-acre Soy Ranch, which was being subdivided. Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville brought two young giraffes, Daisy and Marlon, to their home in Lang'ata and began breeding them. They founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) Kenya the same year.

Over the decades the centre has released dozens of giraffes into the wild, over 30 by its own figures. Soysambu appears on its list of places where recent herds went. In January 2026 the traffic ran the other way.

How many Nubian giraffes are left in Kenya?

About 1,281, according to the GCF's State of Giraffe 2025 report, out of about 3,977 Nubian giraffes in the wild. The Nubian giraffe is listed as Critically Endangered.

The ranges are wide because counting giraffes across scattered reserves is hard: 1,034 to 1,509 for Kenya. The same report recommends moving the Nubian giraffe down a step, to Endangered. In 2025 the IUCN's giraffe specialist group also recognised four giraffe species, with the Nubian giraffe as a subspecies of the northern giraffe.

The scale of the loss is the reason for all this care. The GCF says giraffe numbers fell by up to 95% in some once-prime habitats over 35 years.

How do you visit the Giraffe Centre in 2026?

It is open from 9am to 5pm every day, public holidays included. A non-resident adult pays KSh 1,500, by card or M-Pesa, about US$11 to 12 at the October 2026 rate.

The centre is on Nyumbi Road, off Duma Road in Lang'ata, about 15 km and roughly 40 minutes from the city centre, per the centre. Weekdays from 11am to 1pm and weekends are the busy times; opening time or mid-afternoon on a weekday is calmer.

Most visitors come on a tour that pairs the giraffes with the elephant nursery and a game drive. The classic morning does all three from $35, and the Karen Blixen tour keeps every entrance fee in one price. The Giraffe Centre tickets guide covers the rest.

Just the giraffes: hotel pickup, a guide and time on the platform and the nature trail.

★ 4.6 · 3 hours · from $38

Explore the Giraffe Centre feeding tour → Tour details

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