Giraffe Manor
Encyclopedia
Giraffe Manor is a small hotel in the Lang'ata suburb of Nairobi
, Kenya
which, together with its associated Giraffe Centre
, serves as a home to a number of endangered
Rothschild giraffes
, and operates a breeding programme to reintroduce breeding pairs back into the wild to secure the future of the subspecies.
fame on 150 acre (60.7 ha) of land running down to the Mbagathi River
, the southern boundary of the city of Nairobi. In the 1960s the Manor was purchased by a local investor who leased it to a succession of people, including the late Dennis Lakin, before it fell into disrepair, unoccupied.
In 1974 the Manor was purchased by Betty Leslie-Melville
and her husband Jock, along with 15 acre (6.1 ha) of the original 150 acre (0.607029 km²). Since then a further 60 acre (24.3 ha) of those have also been purchased, which along with an additional 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) gifted by Peter Beard which used to form part of his "Hog Ranch" has brought the total acreage of the Manor up to 115 acre (46.5 ha).
Since the Manor was already home to three wild bull giraffes (nicknamed Tom, Dick and Harry), the Leslie-Melvilles agreed to rehome one of the giraffes, an 8 feet (2.4 m), 450-pound baby they named Daisy, about whom Betty subsequently wrote the book "Raising Daisy Rothschild", later turned into the film The Last Giraffe.
Daisy was soon joined by another baby giraffe, Marlon (named after Marlon Brando
), and since then the Manor, in conjunction with locations such as Woburn Safari Park
in Bedfordshire
, England
, has run a breeding programme to reintroduce the Rothschild giraffe into the wild to expand the gene pool. At any one time the Manor has around a dozen giraffes in residence, although at present there are only eight, and part of the land of the Manor is given over to the Giraffe Centre
, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, a charitable organisation set up by Jock Leslie-Melville in 1972. By tradition the giraffes themselves are named after individuals who have contributed significantly (whether financially or otherwise) to the work of AFEW, such as Lynn, named for author and journalist Lynn Sherr
, a giraffe devotee who wrote an entire book devoted to the creature.
, and all profits from the hotel go to furthering the charitable objectives of AFEW.
Over the years the Manor has welcomed guests such as Mick Jagger
, Walter Cronkite
(after whom one of the Manor's resident warthogs was named), Johnny Carson
, Brooke Shields
and Richard Chamberlain
, as well as hosting Richard Branson
, Ewan McGregor
and Charlie Boorman on the launch of Virgin Atlantic's London–Nairobi service in 2007.
In March 2009 the Manor was purchased by Mikey and Tanya Carr-Hartley and now forms part of the Tamimi group of lodges and hotels.
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
which, together with its associated Giraffe Centre
Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre is located at Langata, approximately 5 kilometres from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in order to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, that is found only in the grasslands of East Africa.The Giraffe Centre was started by...
, serves as a home to a number of endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
Rothschild giraffes
Rothschild giraffe
The Rothschild Giraffe is among the most endangered giraffe subspecies with only a few hundred members in the wild. It is named after the famous family of the Tring Museum's founder, Lord Walter Rothschild, and is also known as the Baringo Giraffe, after the Lake Baringo area of Kenya, or as the...
, and operates a breeding programme to reintroduce breeding pairs back into the wild to secure the future of the subspecies.
History
The Manor was modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, and was constructed in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, a member of the Mackintosh family of Mackintosh's ToffeeMackintosh's Toffee
Mackintosh's Toffee is a sweet created by John Mackintosh.Mackintosh opened up his sweets shop in Halifax, Yorkshire, England in 1890, and the idea for Mackintosh's Toffee, not too hard and not too soft, came soon after...
fame on 150 acre (60.7 ha) of land running down to the Mbagathi River
Mbagathi River
The Mbagathi River is a river in Kenya. It is a tributary of the Athi River. It forms the southern boundary of Nairobi National Park. Herds of animals cross the river when migrating. A number of small dams have been built along the river....
, the southern boundary of the city of Nairobi. In the 1960s the Manor was purchased by a local investor who leased it to a succession of people, including the late Dennis Lakin, before it fell into disrepair, unoccupied.
In 1974 the Manor was purchased by Betty Leslie-Melville
Betty Leslie-Melville
Betty Leslie-Melville was an American conservationist. She was instrumental in creating sanctuaries to preserve the subspecies of the Rothschild's giraffe in Kenya...
and her husband Jock, along with 15 acre (6.1 ha) of the original 150 acre (0.607029 km²). Since then a further 60 acre (24.3 ha) of those have also been purchased, which along with an additional 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) gifted by Peter Beard which used to form part of his "Hog Ranch" has brought the total acreage of the Manor up to 115 acre (46.5 ha).
Life as a giraffe sanctuary
Shortly after purchasing the Manor, the Leslie-Melvilles learned that the only remaining Rothschild giraffes in Kenya were in danger due to a compulsory purchase by the Kenyan government of an 18000 acres (72.8 km²) privately owned ranch at Soi, part of Lewa Downs, which was their sole habitat. Inevitably the purchase would result in the land being sub-divided into smallholdings, and the giraffes being slaughtered.Since the Manor was already home to three wild bull giraffes (nicknamed Tom, Dick and Harry), the Leslie-Melvilles agreed to rehome one of the giraffes, an 8 feet (2.4 m), 450-pound baby they named Daisy, about whom Betty subsequently wrote the book "Raising Daisy Rothschild", later turned into the film The Last Giraffe.
Daisy was soon joined by another baby giraffe, Marlon (named after Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
), and since then the Manor, in conjunction with locations such as Woburn Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park is a safari park located in Woburn, Bedfordshire in the UK. Visitors to the park can drive through the large animal exhibits, which contain species such as White Rhino, Elephants, Tigers and Black Bears...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, has run a breeding programme to reintroduce the Rothschild giraffe into the wild to expand the gene pool. At any one time the Manor has around a dozen giraffes in residence, although at present there are only eight, and part of the land of the Manor is given over to the Giraffe Centre
Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre is located at Langata, approximately 5 kilometres from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in order to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, that is found only in the grasslands of East Africa.The Giraffe Centre was started by...
, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, a charitable organisation set up by Jock Leslie-Melville in 1972. By tradition the giraffes themselves are named after individuals who have contributed significantly (whether financially or otherwise) to the work of AFEW, such as Lynn, named for author and journalist Lynn Sherr
Lynn Sherr
Lynn Sherr is an American broadcast journalist and author, best known as a correspondent for the ABC news magazine 20/20....
, a giraffe devotee who wrote an entire book devoted to the creature.
Life as a hotel
In 1983 Rick Anderson, Betty's son from her first marriage, and his wife Bryony, moved into the Manor, and a year later opened the Manor as a small, privately hosted hotel where guests could feed the giraffes from their breakfast table, through the front door, and out of their bedroom window. The Manor has six bedrooms, one of which is furnished with the belongings of Karen BlixenKaren Blixen
Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , , née Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. She also wrote under the pen names Osceola and Pierre Andrézel...
, and all profits from the hotel go to furthering the charitable objectives of AFEW.
Over the years the Manor has welcomed guests such as Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
(after whom one of the Manor's resident warthogs was named), Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
and Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain
George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare .-Early life:...
, as well as hosting Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
, Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
and Charlie Boorman on the launch of Virgin Atlantic's London–Nairobi service in 2007.
In March 2009 the Manor was purchased by Mikey and Tanya Carr-Hartley and now forms part of the Tamimi group of lodges and hotels.
Further reading
- Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, Raising Daisy Rothschild, Warner Books (1979) ISBN 0446899482
- Lynn Sherr, Tall Blondes, A Book about Giraffes, Andrews McMeel (1997) ISBN 0836227697