The Giraffe Centre was started in 1979 by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, who were worried about the decline of the Rothschild Giraffe population in Kenya. They brought two giraffes, Daisy and Marlon, to their home in Nairobi and began breeding them. With support from the Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife (A.F.E.W.) in the United States, they moved more giraffes to safe areas across Kenya, like national parks and reserves.

In 1983, the Giraffe Centre opened an Educational Centre to teach people about giraffes and conservation. Now, over 300 Rothschild Giraffes are living in Kenyan parks, thanks to the efforts of the Giraffe Centre and its partners.