Why Your Help Is Urgently Needed
$8,056 of $20,000 raised
Critical Dialysis
Regular treatment is essential to manage advanced kidney failure until a permanent solution is found.
Immediate Timing
Medical complications are rising daily. We need to secure funding for the next six months of treatment immediately.
Local Challenges
Specialized renal care requires travel to Nairobi, creating massive logistical and financial burdens for the family.
His condition includes
- Progressive kidney failure (left kidney severely affected)
- Dialysis treatment history
- Severe physical weakness and complications affecting daily function
- Ongoing evaluation for kidney transplant
His work helped save giraffes. Now we can help save him.
For years, Mike Parkei has been on the front lines of conservation in Kenya, a vital part of the community-led efforts that successfully returned the Rothschild’s giraffe to the Ruko Community Conservancy. His dedication ensured these majestic animals had a safe future.
Today, a chronic kidney condition has put his life on hold. To continue his mission and be there for his family and the community, he requires urgent specialized medical care that is currently out of reach.
Funds will support:
Dialysis and
ongoing treatment
Hospital and
specialist care
Medication and
recovery support
He wasn’t just a worker; he was the heartbeat of the relocation project. Now, he faces his own
Photo By Tyler Schiffman
Your Support Can Save a Giraffe Today
Every donation directly supports giraffe and the communities that live alongside them.
$8,056 of $20,000 raised
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Full story
Mike Parkei is a conservation ranger specializing in caring for and rehabilitating giraffes at Ruko Conservancy on the shores of Lake Baringo in Kenya. He is also one of the most important figures in the extraordinary rescue and relocation of endangered Rothschild’s giraffes threatened by rising floodwaters in 2020. When the lake began to swallow their island home, Mike played a central role in the painstaking effort to save the last remaining herd. He worked for months alongside local communities and conservation partners to carefully guide and transport the giraffes across crocodile-filled waters on a specially built barge. At the height of this crisis, he slept on the flooded island for months at a time, living in constant danger alongside the giraffes, far from his wife and young children, to ensure their survival.
Mike has dedicated his life to these animals, often spending up to 10 months a year in the field and only brief periods at home with his family, quietly sacrificing safety, stability, and irreplaceable time with his loved ones for the protection of wildlife in crisis. Today, he is seriously ill with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) resulting in kidney failure and urgently needs support for his medical care and treatment.
Campaign Deadline / Surgery Window: He needs urgent life-saving treatment for 6 months.
His condition includes:
- Progressive kidney failure (left kidney severely affected)
- Dialysis treatment history
- Severe physical weakness and complications affecting daily function
- Ongoing evaluation for kidney transplant
He will receive treatment at the Nakuru Heart Center and must undergo weekly sessions costing 61,450 Kenyan shillings (approximately $475 USD) per session. Four treatments per month total 245,800 Kenyan shillings (approximately $1,900 USD). Over six months, the total treatment cost will be 1,474,800 Kenyan shillings, approximately $11,400 USD at the current exchange rate.
The $20,000 USD goal includes not only the $11,400 USD treatment cost but also Mike’s travel, accommodation, and living expenses during recovery. As a full‑time ranger, he’s currently without salary while undergoing treatment.
Choose Your Impact
Every donation directly supports giraffe and the communities that live alongside them.
$8,056 of $20,000 raised
Please select your desired currency and enter your donation amount:
This page is protected by advanced encryption and reCAPTCHA. Our Privacy policy and terms and service apply
Helpful Information
Funds will be disbursed to the individual as a grant for the sole purpose of covering documented medical expenses, including dialysis, medications, and travel to treatment centers. Save Giraffes Now oversees the transparent management of these emergency relief funds.
For questions regarding this campaign, contact:
Amber Vance
amber@savegiraffesnow.org
© Save Giraffes Now. All Rights Reserved. | Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Saving Giraffes SAVE GIRAFFES NOW is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, IRS Charitable Organization Number 83-4423842. 8333 Douglas Avenue, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75225