Kenya Conservation Campaign - Madawa

My name is Madawa, which means medicine in Swahili, one of the official languages of Kenya.

I am an endangered reticulated giraffe, rescued years ago by Ol Jogi’s Wildlife Rescue Center after my mother abandoned me after just a few weeks. I was hand raised by a caring team for six years, and then released into the wild.

Even though I was released over eleven years ago, I still like to return to visit my human friends and all the other animals at the center. It is safe there, and they plant many delicious trees and shrubs for me to eat. I use my 21 inch tongue to delicately nibble the leaves off thorny acacia. This is important because these trees will produce cyanogenic toxins when severely damaged which can be deadly to me and my friends, the black rhinos.

I am free to move about the conservancy; I can be seen with other giraffes in many different parts of Ol Jogi. Sometimes my giraffe friends even come visit me at the center!

Over the last eight years, I had a few calves. I wasn't a very good mom initially, and lost a few of them to lions. But, my last two survived as I decided to come back to have them near the center where I was raised.

Organizations like Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy and Veterinarians International, are critical to ensuring the health and wellbeing of animals like me. Please join us as we walk together towards a future where humans and animals thrive together.

Giraffe Facts

1. A male giraffe’s neck can reach nearly 10 feet in length but they have the same number of bones in their neck as all other mammals.
2. A giraffe’s tongue is nearly 2 feet long, which allows them to access the choicest leaves in the treetops.
3. Giraffes sleep standing up so they can be ready to run away from predators at a moment’s notice.
4. The only animal bold enough to hunt a giraffe is a lion.

Kenya Program Goal

• To improve access to quality care so animals like Madawa have a better chance of survival. Program includes:
  • Training center for veterinarians and wildlife professionals
  • Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
• Investment needed: $250,000 US