By A Telegraph Correspondent
Published: 1:06PM BST 21 Jul 2009
Tanya Carr-Hartley and children Sala (5) and one-year-old twins Tisa and Kinna: Family share breakfast table with giraffes
Every day shortly before 9am the beasts stroll up to the house and poke their heads through the windows and doors in search of morning treats Photo: CATERS NEWS
Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley live in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro on a 140-acre estate, which is home to eight Rothschild giraffes, some of the rarest on the planet.
Every day shortly before 9am the beasts stroll up to the house and poke their heads through the windows and doors in search of morning treats.
The couple spend breakfast sipping orange juice and picking at croissants, literally sharing their dining table with the world's tallest mammal.
Now the pair are sharing the mesmerising experience with the outside world by opening the manor gates to guests at the world's only giraffe hotel.
The couple spent their childhood living close to the house in Nairobi, Kenya and have always been fascinated with the creatures.
"Mikey and I grew up near to this manor house," said Mrs Carr-Hartley.
"We are both third generation Kenyans who have always wanted to work in conservation.
"Mikey's family have been involved in the protection of animals for many generations.
"His grandad was even involved in the relocation of giraffes as far back as the 1930s. Moving the giraffes ensured their protection and continued existence.
"When the house came up for sale we jumped at the chance to buy it as we had always dreamed of one day owning it."
Giraffe Manor is home to eight Rothschild giraffes, they are some of the rarest on earth second only to the Niger giraffe, with only a few hundred left in the wild.
A conservation project to save them was started at the manor In 1974 when the grandson of a Scottish Earl, Jock Leslie Melville, and his American wife, Betty, bought the stately home.
Later that year they moved two endangered Rothschild giraffe onto the estate, where third and fourth generations live on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5877815/Family-share-breakfast-table-in-Africa-with-giraffes.html
No comments:
Post a Comment