Joseph Lemiso, an education officer at the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi, feeds Kelly, a Rothschild giraffe. The centre breeds the rare giraffe and educates Kenyan schoolchildren about conservation. Matt Brown / The National
Joseph Lemiso, an education officer at the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi, feeds Kelly, a Rothschild giraffe. The centre breeds the rare giraffe and educates Kenyan schoolchildren about conservation. Matt Brown / The National
Joseph Lemiso, an education officer at the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi, feeds Kelly, a Rothschild giraffe. The centre breeds the rare giraffe and educates Kenyan schoolchildren about conservation. Matt Brown / The National
Joseph Lemiso, an education officer at the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi, feeds Kelly, a Rothschild giraffe. The centre breeds the rare giraffe and educates Kenyan schoolchildren about conservation. Matt

Big steps needed to save six-metre tallest giraffe from extinction


  • English
  • Arabic

NAIROBI // The mountain gorilla. The black rhino. The chimpanzee. These are the African animals most people think of as endangered. But a species of giraffe is actually one of the most vulnerable animals on the continent. Only about 300 Rothschild giraffes, the tallest of the majestic creatures at a height of more than six metres, are left in the world. The number is up from a low of about 120 in the 1980s, but the continued human-wildlife conflict in Kenya is again threatening the species. Another two species, the reticulated giraffe and the Maasai giraffe, are common throughout Kenya.

In the quiet, leafy Nairobi suburb of Langata, the Giraffe Centre has been fighting to save the Rothschild giraffe from extinction for three decades. The team of conservationists protects and breeds the animals to increase the population and educates Kenyan schoolchildren to ensure the species' continued survival into the next generation. Betty Leslie-Melville, an American who married a British-Kenyan, discovered that the Rothschild giraffe was nearly extinct in 1979. Only a few dozen were left in an area of western Kenya that was scheduled to be divided up into plots and sold to farmers. Mrs Leslie-Melville and her husband, Jock, brought two giraffes to their property in Nairobi and started the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.

The Rothschild giraffe's normal habitat is in prime agricultural land in western Kenya and Uganda, and they have been all but squeezed out by human encroachment. The giraffes that are bred at the centre are relocated to protected wildlife sanctuaries across Kenya. "This giraffe took a beating," said Christine Odhiambo, the manager of the Giraffe Centre. "They were not welcome in the agricultural zone."

Poaching is also threatening the species these days. Semi-nomadic people hunt the giraffes for meat and use the skin to make crafts to sell to tourists. The Rothschild giraffe has a distinct orange-brown patchwork of geometric spots separated by pale lines, making its hide resemble a piece of dry, cracked earth. Humans are its biggest predator, although large cats can take down a baby. A few weeks ago, a leopard killed a young giraffe at the centre.

The eight giraffes here on the 100-acre preserve roam free and forage for leaves from the local acacia trees. Giraffe Manor, on the same grounds as the centre, is a unique hotel where guests can feed giraffes through their bedroom window. The animals also usually poke their heads into the dining room as guests eat breakfast. "The giraffes are gentle and they do well with people," said Ms Odhiambo. "It is a good chance to teach about conservation."

Every school day the centre busses in children from Nairobi slums and teaches them about the giraffes, the environment and conservation. To date, the centre has educated about 20,000 students. They also train teachers on how to incorporate conservation into their lesson plans. For seven-year-old Bernard Kamau, who visited the centre with his primary school class on a recent afternoon, the giraffes were the first wildlife he had seen up close.

"I like the long tongue," he said after feeding one giraffe. "It's slimy." The centre also sponsors an environmental art and essay writing contest among schoolchildren and takes kids on tree planting trips. Teachers hope this environmental education makes them understand the value of conservation. "It is about reaching out to underprivileged children," said Joseph Lemiso, an education officer at the centre, as he popped cereal pellets into the mouth of a giraffe called Kelly. "This is the future of Kenya."

While there are many conservation organisations working to protect the more popular animals such as the elephant, lion and gorilla, the Giraffe Centre is the only one dedicated to the Rothschild giraffe. "Many people think the giraffe is not endangered," Ms Odhiambo said. "It is endangered. There are only 300 [Rothschild giraffes] left today. That is so little compared to the zillions of elephants out there. But nobody is working on the giraffe."

Giraffes that are bred at the centre have an 80 per cent survival rate once they are relocated to animal sanctuaries, Ms Odihambo said. This beats the 50 per cent survival rate of animals born in the wild. "The giraffes are surviving, and that means the programme has been successful," Mr Lemiso said. "The next generation of Kenyans is able to learn about this amazing animal." @Email:mbrown@thenational.ae

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOutsized%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2016%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAzeem%20Zainulbhai%2C%20Niclas%20Thelander%2C%20Anurag%20Bhalla%20and%20Johann%20van%20Niekerk%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndia%2C%20South%20Africa%2C%20South-East%20Asia%2C%20Mena%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Recruitment%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20staff%20count%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2040%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeed%20and%20angel%20investors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

COMPANY PROFILE

Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2014

Number of employees: 36

Sector: Logistics

Raised: $2.5 million

Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)

Sunday

Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)

Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
While you're here
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70

Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000

Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Huddersfield Town permanent signings:

  • Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
  • Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
  • Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
  • Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
  • Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
  • Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
  • Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
  • Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

Women & Power: A Manifesto

Mary Beard

Profile Books and London Review of Books