Nairobi National Park Welcomes Rare Birth of Twin Giraffes

The Nairobi National Park welcomed the birth of twin giraffe calves, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala announced Thursday.

Balala said the birth of the twin giraffes is a rare event that ought to be secured for posterity. 

“One of the Maasai giraffes in Nairobi National Park has given birth to a set of twins. This is an extremely rare occurrence. We welcome the newborns with love,” he said.

The National Wildlife Census Wildlife Census 2021 Report, published in July 2021 by the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), recorded an increase on some charismatic species such as elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, Grevy’s zebra, hirola among others and established baseline number for other species. 

During the period, they found the Maasai giraffe (n=13,530), reticulated giraffe (n=19,725), and Nubian giraffe (n=938).

The Amboseli conservation area has the largest concentration of giraffes, with more than 6,000 roaming.

Reticulated giraffes, are found mainly in the north and northeastern parts of the country, including Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana, Laikipia, and Samburu. The Nubia giraffe is found in Ruma National Park, in Homa Bay county, Lake Nakuru National Park, and in private ranches in Naivasha.

The census covered over 343,380km2 (total aerial = 186,296km2 and sample aerial = 157,084km2 ). This represents 59% of Kenya’s land mass. A total of 1158.23 hours was flown (940.80 hours and 217.43 hours for total and sample aerial censuses, respectively).