Should You Feed Giraffes in Nairobi?

The Giraffe Centre lets you stand on a raised platform and hand-feed pellets to Rothschild’s giraffes that come right up to you. Expect the animals to be habituated and sometimes quite pushy with their long tongues; it’s a memorable close encounter that usually lasts 20-40 minutes once you’re there. You’ll also walk a short nature trail and visit a small education centre. It’s genuinely fun if you like animals, but it can feel touristy when several groups arrive at once. The experience is completely generic across operators – you’re basically paying for access, pellets, and the platform.

Best time to go is weekday mornings right after opening (around 9-10am) before the big tour buses roll in; avoid weekends entirely. June to October and December to February are the driest months and slightly more pleasant, but the centre operates year-round. Expect to pay around $15-30 for a standard visit including feeding; half-day tours that bundle it with the elephant orphanage or city sights run $90-150 per person from town. Private transfers push the higher end.

Pick the basic ticket and just feed the giraffes – that’s the part worth doing. Skip the gift shop and any “conservation talk” that feels scripted. Bring your own hand sanitiser; the giraffe saliva is thick and the shared pellet buckets are not exactly hygienic.