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It’s World giraffe Day

in: Activities, Announcements by: Lydia Jwan

Dear Diary,

Today is a good day. Why? You may ask. Well, today is World’s Giraffe Day, and that makes it as special like Christmas or Hanukkah for the Jews who pop in here once in a while. We did not have a secret Santa again this year, so disappointing. One would have thought that after nineteen years in the wild I’d get used to the way of the jungle, but no, every year I keep hoping that Santa would stop by with a stack of  Lucerne grass.

Forgive my manners, “je’mappelle Betty, enchante!” ( I am using French cause introductions sound sexier in French) I am the oldest giraffe here at the giraffe centre. I look at some of the interns my age and can’t help but wonder why they are so full of life like I was at ten years.  Now I can feel my knees getting weaker; my vision is not as sharp as it used to be, the air smells different each morning. If I could speak my speech would start to get a little slurry, but you know what, all this is justified because I, my friend, have lived longer than most of my cousins in the wild.

I like it here. They give us pellets and salt licks on a daily. But today I don’t feel particularly motivated to eat pellets and salt licks. I mean if I did, then what would make this day different from any other day. I have made peace with the fact that Santa is never going to pop up here, so the least my human friends can do is feed me a different treat.

Link to Giraffe Centre day to day activities

I did have Rhus today, quite a delicious treat and not very common around here. I must say I was impressed by the rangers. So even when they hit their buckets of pellets calling unto us, I heeded. The day is almost coming to an end. I can see the sun setting leaving an orange layer of rays on the Ng’ong hills. It is a beautiful life, and I am happy. Tomorrow the cycle repeats itself but yet another opportunity to meet people from different walks of life at the platform.

Yours faithfully,

Betty, the giraffe.

The City in a Garden

in: Activities by: Lydia Jwan

We all at some point, come up with a bucket list of things we would love to do or accomplish by a certain age.  Most of these goals are usually a product of wild dreams or being in a state of euphoria. For instance, I was convinced that I’d be a millionaire by the age of 21, cruising the Caribbean Islands on the Silver cruise and having cocktail parties in Zanzibar. Now, as 21 approaches, I look at that bucket list and can’t help but chuckle. None of those TODO activities fits my reality leave alone being practical, but oh well can’t a girl dream?

The thing about dreams is that they free us into a  world of endless possibilities. This is particularly true for  Singapore, a country that has for decades ranked highest as the epitome of green cities. You see in 1965, Singapore as a developing country was famously known as the polluter’s paradise.

To see mucky rivers and raw sewage pervasive was a common sight. Lee Kuan Yew  (Prime minister then) as I would like to think, was strolling down the streets of Singapore one Sunday afternoon “seeking to reconnect with his roots” but that’s just a better way of saying – trying to stay humble.

Fifteen minutes into the walk, Mr Yew had almost done ten hops, skips and jumps, avoiding garbage on the streets and puddles of dirty water that covered the atmosphere with a foul smell. His heart bled. Later that evening, as he sat at his study, he wrote a speech. This speech was to be a revolutionary masterpiece, and what better way to start than to follow Martin Luther King’s prose – I Have A Dream –  because it was 1960, and that was the gist.

So he began.

I have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in Green vision.

That one day, Singapore will realize that the risk to remain in this bud of traditional conservation,

Was far more painful than the risk it took to blossom with big and bold solutions.

A dream of a City in a Garden.

The letter may have been longer, but this is as far as my imagination can bring me. The people of Singapore bought into the dream, and creative solutions started to flow. Individuals set into the streets this time not demonstrating but cleaning. Within ten years the country was sparkling. There was still one problem, though. As the population continued to grow, so did the build-up of solid waste.

The Superheroes of Singapore city called an urgent meeting, and that is how the Waste to Energy solid waste management systems was born. It comprises of Recycling, Incineration and the Semakau Landfill. Four Incineration plants were constructed that are still thriving to date.

All solid waste that can be incinerated is taken to these plants where they are burnt to ashes. The heat released in this process is converted to electricity and is used to power the city all year round.

The ashes are then taken to a man-made island called the Semakau Landfill. The landfill is made of partitions that are drained of seawater then piled with the ashes until a level ground is reached.  Once a level field is reached, plants are grown, and landscaping is done to make that portion a natural habitat. With years Semakau Landfill is no longer just an offshore landfill but also a recreational destination for nature lovers.

Singapore is already living SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by incorporating parks and eco-friendly recreational facilities in their cities. The air is cleaner with trees and plants climbing skyscrapers. The young have become the forefront of conservation with the idea of green spaces  becoming a norm that has been passed on to generations for the last 50 years.

Now if a developing country can rise to a first world country while still maintaining its biodiversity, who are we not to?  I am not suggesting that there is a one-size-fits-all solution but when all is said and done, we as a country got a lot to learn from Singapore, now don’t we?

Image: By Merlion444 – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8472987

Sick in the Wild

in: Safari Learn1 Comment by: Lydia Jwan

You know for the tallest animal existing, poise and glamour is their way of life – nothing of news.  And as the Victoria Secret’s of the wild ( Uhm,, they don’t call themselves that, but work with me here) being sick is not a welcome respite. In fact, sickness is just never a topic to whine about around there, I mean what else would you want when you’ve got antiseptic saliva?

Well, that may not have been the case for Nandi the giraffe. On Saturday, we notice that Nandi is gloomy and aloof. One might mistake this for the cold weather  Nairobi has been serving us, but at a closer look, his ever-smooth fur coat is rough, and his nose is running.  Could he be sick? But from what? Remember when I said giraffes have antiseptic saliva? Well, let’s just say diarrhoea doesn’t care much about that because Nandi our girl had a severe running stomach.

In this millennial age, we could call Nandi a foodie because she, unlike others, is not keen on observing her diet. So anything and everything works for her, and we all know how that goes. The exact food she might have eaten that caused this is yet to be understood, but some speculate grass. Good news ! she’s now under the medication and close supervision from the rangers. Her health is steadily improving as she recuperates in isolation.

Over the last decade, a strange disease has also been noted in one of Rothschild’s cousins, the Masai giraffes. This species of giraffes widely spread in Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya have been observed to have a  rare kind of skin disease. The disease is characterized by large grey crusty lesions that form on different parts the giraffe’s body mostly around the legs and the neck region.

Giraffes with these lesions seem rather inert  and could be an easy target for predators such as lions. While it’s a feast for the Lions, the giraffes can’t help but feel offended because they have never been known to give in so easily. And while the disease has not been recorded in the Rothschild Giraffe, its causes and treatment are yet to be found.

Research is still being conducted on the GSD ( Giraffe Skin Disease) to determine the exact cause of the infection and if this disease is mortal to the species. In other news, watch your diet, stay healthy, don’t be like Nandi!

One minute to midnight

in: Activities by: Lydia Jwan

The world of conservation must have been thrown into a frenzy when Robert Langdon released his very own version of the “apocalypse” in his book- Inferno. ‘We are one minute to Midnight!’ is one of the phrases that are sure to catch your eye when you open the book. You see, this book could take some of us through an existential crisis, I know I did. So when you see the damage we humans have caused and are continuing to do to our planet, you begin to realize that we might be the cancer to our very own existence.

The phrase ‘We are one minute to Midnight’ was one of my Aha moments in conservation!

Up until then, I viewed the concept of Reduce Reuse Recycle as rote learning, a repeated commercial if anything. Then I came across the idea of Midnight being the hour of our fall when climate change won’t just be another abstract idea but man’s biggest nightmare. The human race has always suffered the stubbornness of habit; we begin to make a change when pain is involved. And while I don’t agree with Robert Langdon’s idea of wiping off half the human race, one cannot fail to see from where he’s coming.

To many the idea of Environmental conservation or conservation at large could be termed as an acquired taste, and I pray it is because then we know that the awareness is out there. What we choose to do with this valuable information is up to us to decide. At Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife, we have made it a tradition to make sure this information is passed down from generations to generations for the last 21 years.

Last Friday, 7th June 2019, we hosted our annual Prize giving day marking the end of the Environmental Competitions 2019. Once again, students from all levels of education participated in different categories of art and essays. The spirits were high as the music and dance brought us all under one theme.

I do have one question though, who introduced the Odi dance? This person deserves presidential recognition because finding a genre that brings together both the young and old in laughter is not an easy fete.  And who said the young are not wise? Because I beg to differ. The winning artwork and essay entries this year were a product of pure wit if not intelligence.

Expectations were met, even by the toddlers gracing us with their heartfelt poems on preserving planet Earth. Let’s take a conscious step to conserve our planet. It doesn’t hurt to use that metal straw to save the turtles at sea neither does it hurt to plant two trees when you cut down one. I could go on and on about the festivities of this day, but that’s for you to find out next year when you join us. Long story short, it was a good day! Do live and let others live.

2017 Giraffe Centre Competition trophies

Live and Let Live

in: Announcements by: Giraffe Centre

What comes to your mind when you hear that phrase?

Talk about a live band singing to the beauty of the African giraffe under a sycamore tree watching the beautiful sunset (ooh yes the sunset has to be there because without it, what Africa are you talking about?)

Maybe the concept is a bit far-stretched, but you get my point. This world would be so lackluster if man were the only species inhabiting it. The beauty of it all that makes living worthwhile is the incessant chirping of birds, the joy of clean air and the smell of the rain. So the idea of us living to uphold another life is more like the Dominos effect- which essentially means that everything we do ultimately affects our coexistence in one way or another.

Our Annual National Environmental Awareness Competition all stems from this concept. As we all know, our world is moving towards a crisis, a crisis of survival and sustainability. So what better way to create awareness on Sustainable Environmental Conservation if not the young generation?

This Friday, 7th June 2019, we see Winners of the National Environmental Awareness Competition showcase their brilliance. Ranging from artwork to excellent essays, we see the ingenuity of every individual’s approach in achieving a common goal of Environmental conservation.

In the spirit of Eid Mubarak, stay tuned as we unleash the Arts in Conservation!

2019 Environmental Competition Results

in: Announcements by: Giraffe Centre

Every year, AFEW Giraffe Centre gives Kenyan students an opportunity to express their thoughts on a given topic. They do so through essays and art in a highly competitive environmental competition that runs from January to March every year.

This year we’ve seen wonderful entries from students and pupils all over the country.

To know the winners of this year’s competition, please click here.

Your Opinion

in: Announcements by: Giraffe Centre


For the past six months, AFEW Giraffe Centre has made some changes in the delivery of service to you our esteem visitors.
We would like to get your views on our service delivery.
Kindly please fill the survey form . we look forward for your views, comments and reviews


Kelly's 5th Born Calf.

Kelly’s Fifth Born

in: Animal Habitat, Announcements2 Comments by: Giraffe Centre

Good day today it is. It’s not normal to witness a new born Giraffe Calf.

But this is no ordinary birth. Kelly is a legend already, this is her 5th born calf. Normally, giraffe’s gestation period is 15 months, but Kelly here did 17 months. That’s two whole months extra. Giraffes do this when they feel like the environment they are in is not conducive for giving birth. In this case, this would probably be because of the delayed rainy season.

So giraffes too are thrilled for the rain. Congratulation to Kelly.

Students being taught about trees at the A Rocha Kenya.

The WAVES Ecology Scheme

in: Activities1 Comment by: Giraffe Centre

Wendell Berry, a recipient of The National Humanities Medal, once said, “The Earth is what we all have in Common.” A very simple, probably common sense knowledge, but very powerful. It’s a quote that spark our minds to realize ways that ensures posterity of the earth. This is where, Kerrigan Savage Waves Trust comes into play.

Kerrigan Savage Waves Trust (WAVES in short), decided to partner with Giraffe Centre in spreading the conservation message. They have concentrated their efforts to needy school going children. Since the year 2000, together with Giraffe Centre, we are running an ecology program. The target being all Class 5 children from 5 primary schools in the slums of Nairobi and form 1 students of Starehe School. We give them a fully paid ecology trip to wildlife Centres around Nairobi. Some the wildlife centres the students are taken to include, Giraffe Centre, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, A ROCHA Kenya, Mamba Village and the Nairobi Safari walk. All these places give visitors valuable information about conservation of the environment.

Students at the Mamba village during their ecology trip sponsored by Kerrigan Savage Waves Trust

Other than educating the students, they also fund school projects that are environmentally inclined. The interesting requirement for the projects they fund is that the projects have to be owned by the school. Which means that the students are to be fully involved in the implementation, the school should see and use the output to better their daily activities and the community should embrace it.

Art on the Conservation of Nature
“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” —Thomas Fuller

So in a very big way, WAVES, are doing all of us a big favor in making sure that this commonly shared resource is being used well. efficiently for now and preserved for posterity.

Thank you very much WAVES for all the support you are offering in environmental conservation and education.



CEO Giving students seedlings

Tree planting

in: Activities by: Giraffe Centre

Somewhere in Kenya, there is a family with considerable acres of land. During the planting seasons, this family made it a habit to distribute some of their seeds to the neighbors for planting. Weird I know. When asked why, the head of that family answered that it is a strategy to make sure that his land produces quality produce during the time of harvest.

Here’s why….

Tree planting is not as easy as we tend to believe. Having a good tree nursery goes beyond just planting and watching them grow. It is a process that needs a lot of concentration and guidance from the experts of trees. Here in Kenya, the experts being KeFRI (Kenya Forest and Research Institute), are highly equipped with knowledge on how to have a healthy tree nursery and ways to make sure that the posterity of the trees are assured.

Did you know that for a tree nursery to be viewed as properly made, the owner need to have information the following:-

  • Where the seeds were found.
  • A good label of the scientific name of the tree seedlings.

Knowing where the seeds are have been found helps a lot in knowing the kind issues the batch might be having. This means, collecting seeds in the field and planting them does not qualify as a good seed bed. Why?

There are rules to be followed in the collection of the seeds to assure that:-

  • You do not get the same family of seeds as this would lead to issues with how the plants grow. Think of it like incest, for a good seedling to be productive during transplant, you need different families in the bed so that during pollination, if any of the families in the seedling would, for example, had a stunted growth, during pollination, that problem can be well neutralized.  To help solve that, when collecting seeds for yourself, have like 30 meters interval. Why 30 meters you ask? During pollination, the pollen can only travel up to 30 meters. Past that, it gets void and can not be used for pollinating another plant.

So, if we go back to our story, the family did that practice to ensure that in case there was cross pollination between their crops, they’ll still get a quality produce as they were sure of the seeds planted by their neighbors.