Can you imagine how many giraffes come to grab your food while you are having breakfast? In Giraffe Manor, this is people's daily life!
These long-necked guys are not afraid of people at all. They often walk leisurely in the manor, waiting for the breeder to prepare breakfast for them. If they can't wait, they'll simply stick their heads in the window or door in search of delicious food, even at the expense of tourists.
Even if they didn't see anyone eating by the window, they had to search through the dishes, which seemed to be the happiest thing they had ever done in the manor.
Giraffe Manor is located on the outskirts of the central city of Nairobi, Africa, 20 kilometers away. It covers an area of about 12 acres, and there are beautiful houses surrounded by green plants, large grasslands, green plants, and these big-eyed and long-necked guys. This interesting fairy tale manor topped the list of the world's TOP10 "dream travel destinations" selected by CNN in 2014.
It was also selected as the best destination for family travel in 2017 by Travel & Leisure, the weather vane of the travel industry. If travelers want to stay in this manor hotel, they must make a reservation in advance, and the reservation can only be successful. In order to reserve the space for giraffe activities in the manor, there are only a dozen rooms, and the reception of guests is limited.
But this does not prevent people from all over the world from coming here.
There is another reason for the scarcity of rooms here. 40 years ago, it was the private estate of Jock and Betty and was not open to the public. Jock and Betty are big fans of giraffes and bought the estate because it is far from town, close to nature and giraffes are often nearby. In later life, the giraffe also often relied on its proud height and extended its head to say hello. Such close contact made the couple happy.
However, the survival situation of the giraffe at that time was not optimistic. Poachers have targeted their antlers and fur, and their habitat has been extensively destroyed by humans. In particular, the endangered Roche giraffe, which lives mainly in the Kenyan region, is experiencing a sharp decline in its population.
In 1979, Betty and her husband established the African Endangered Wildlife Conservation Foundation to better protect Roche giraffes and other wild animals. Betty especially likes to record her moments with giraffes in words.
She has compiled and published these insights and protection experiences into a book, which has won the support of a large number of readers. Gradually, their deeds of protecting giraffes attracted media attention.
These docile and lovely giraffes also attracted the attention of many tourists, and many celebrities and stars also came to visit and support them.
Visits by celebrities such as Mark Brando also helped the foundation raise a lot of money. In 1984, Jock was in critical condition, Betty decided to open the estate and let his son run it. Since then, the Giraffe Manor has been opened to tourists in the form of an experiential hotel, and the income is used for the protection of giraffes.
During the couple's decades of protecting Roche's giraffes, the population has grown from more than 100 to more than 400. This is their most precious legacy left to the world. In the giraffe manor, these Roche giraffes are no longer endangered species, they are like the real owners of the manor, witnessing the prosperity and development of the manor.
As the hosts, they warmly welcome tourists from all over the world and have close contact with tourists, so that they can understand wild animals more intuitively, so as to know how to cherish and actively protect them.
