Friday, November 11, 2011

Giraffe Centre

The Giraffe Centre in Nairobi, Kenya was started to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe and to help breed it in captivity. The program has been very successful.



It is a wonderful place to interact with giraffes from a raised platform. Not only do you get to observe them at very close quarters but you are also allowed to feed the giraffes little treats made from molasses by hand! They seem to love them enough to play a game of tennis-watch for them. See for yourself:




It's surreal being so close to so many of these tall beauties. I learned that they are intelligent creatures, they actually respond to their names!


Most intriguing however, was the fact that their saliva is so antiseptic that their mouths are perpetually clean. In fact, they eat leaves from the thorny acacia since the thorn wounds heal rapidly owing to the antispectic nature of the saliva!


Here are some pictures from our trip there. You will also see some happy warthogs who enjoy the treats that the giraffes drop.


Giraffe Centre