Sumatran tiger cub named Sumini (Kuasa x Suki)
Dallas Zoo Dallas Zoo News 2021
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Cloud and proud: Dallas Zoo now home to clouded leopard sisters Nova and Luna
The Dallas Zoo is now home to 2 clouded leopards sisters that came from the Houston Zoo
The Dallas Zoo is now home to 2 clouded leopards sisters that came from the Houston Zoo
A pleasant surprise! Hopefully this means more traction with Asian species at the zoo!
A first for Dallas! Two Madagascar Crested Ibis chicks have hatched: Log into Facebook | Facebook
Dallas Zoo's 3-Month-Old Giraffe Calf 'Marekani' Euthanized After Catastrophic Injury
Another giraffe calf at the Dallas Zoo has died. Starting to question a bit if they should be breeding giraffes…
Another giraffe calf at the Dallas Zoo has died. Starting to question a bit if they should be breeding giraffes…
I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Are you saying that because a giraffe got injured in some unknown accident that they should stop breeding them?
Not to agree or disagree, but I believe @John Marchwick is making the point that this seems to be a recurring problem in Dallas. Since the new exhibit opened, Dallas has lost 3/7 calves, two of which were caused by injuries. I'm not sure if that warrants a breeding suspension, but it definitely raises some questions.
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I will say on both my visits the giraffe feeding yard (where more are generally held) was a bit muddy. I think they should work on drainage or establishing a better substrate in here, as I could see the soggy sand being a problem for young energetic calves. Not blaming the zoo for anything but it is truly the wettest giraffe exhibit I have seen. Maybe I visited on bad days though, as Fort Worth that same week was keeping their calves off exhibit due to the amount of rain.
that’s my point yes
A Southern Ground Hornbill recently arrived from Zoo Knoxville: Dallas Zoo welcomes southern ground hornbill in first successful foster of species
Zoo evaluating change to giraffe care:
Dallas Zoo evaluating possible changes to giraffe care after death of 3-month-old calf
Dallas Zoo evaluating possible changes to giraffe care after death of 3-month-old calf
Yikes! Giraffes seem to be dropping like flies at Dallas these days! I am aware that this death is not related to the deaths of the calfs, but still this must be a PR nightmare for the zoo!
Given the circumstances, I think that when posting the link, it should have been stated that this giraffe was a 19-year-old male that died of age-related health complications… People need to remember that a whole team of people that worked closely with these animals is dealing with these heavy losses and it’s insensitive to leave thing open to incorrect inferences when the article clearly states what happened.
An interview with the Senior Director of Animal Care on the giraffe deaths:
Exploring the Dallas Zoo's string of giraffe fatalities - Oak Cliff
The zoo has had a run of tragedy within its giraffe population. In the past six years, three calves have died at the Dallas Zoo. Monday an older giraffe died at age 19. (Their average life expectancy is 25, and Auggie’s end was a result of age-related health issues, the zoo reported).
A few weeks ago the calf called Marekani died as a result of an accident. The zoo just released the incident report from that event, explaining that a fall and collisions while running with the herd caused the severe, untreatable — and thereby fatal —injury. In 2019 Witten, a 1-year-old giraffe, died while under anesthesia, and baby Kipenzi died in 2015 after a collision that led to a broken neck.
Read full article for more.
Exploring the Dallas Zoo's string of giraffe fatalities - Oak Cliff
The zoo has had a run of tragedy within its giraffe population. In the past six years, three calves have died at the Dallas Zoo. Monday an older giraffe died at age 19. (Their average life expectancy is 25, and Auggie’s end was a result of age-related health issues, the zoo reported).
A few weeks ago the calf called Marekani died as a result of an accident. The zoo just released the incident report from that event, explaining that a fall and collisions while running with the herd caused the severe, untreatable — and thereby fatal —injury. In 2019 Witten, a 1-year-old giraffe, died while under anesthesia, and baby Kipenzi died in 2015 after a collision that led to a broken neck.
Read full article for more.
I’m glad that the zoo is being so transparent with these incidents; however, it is such a shame that their transparency and attempts at clarity are still being reported with such obvious threads of anti-zoo rhetoric. As someone who has worked with giraffe for a number of years, I’m curious if the average lifespan reported was offered up by the zoo or researched by the reporter because while 25 might be the average lifespan of giraffe collectively, if you are to look at the median life expectancy of male giraffe specifically, you’ll find that it is closer to 14/15, so Auggie was of a very respectable age for a male giraffe. I fear that such wording just further feeds the flame against the zoo. The timing of his death really couldn’t be worse. As the herd that opened the Giants of the Savanna ages, more age-related deaths are to be expected. I hope the zoo is able to get ahead of this and their work with geriatric giraffe.
Dallas Zoo Giraffe 'Jesse' Passes Away, Marking Zoo's 3rd Giraffe Death This Month
Another giraffe has died at the Dallas Zoo
Another giraffe has died at the Dallas Zoo
Giraffe deaths could have been caused by exposure to toxins:
Dallas Zoo Suspects Recent Giraffe Deaths Connected, Possible Exposure To Toxin
The Dallas Zoo says necropsy results from the recent deaths of two giraffes point to liver damage, suggesting a possible exposure to a toxin of some sort, either through a food source, in the exhibit space, or introduced via a foreign object.
Read article for full story.
Dallas Zoo Suspects Recent Giraffe Deaths Connected, Possible Exposure To Toxin
The Dallas Zoo says necropsy results from the recent deaths of two giraffes point to liver damage, suggesting a possible exposure to a toxin of some sort, either through a food source, in the exhibit space, or introduced via a foreign object.
Read article for full story.
Social media update on the recent giraffe tragedies:
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with words of encouragement & support over these last few weeks. Your kind words have meant so much as our Zoo family continues to process the losses of Auggie & Jesse while also looking for answers. We are still awaiting some initial & secondary pathology reports & lab tests on food & vegetation, all of which will continue to help us pinpoint the potential causes or link between the two incidents. We have been able to rule out a few things at this point:
We can say with certainty these deaths were not related to the COVID-19 vaccine. We are still on the waiting list to receive doses of the vaccine from Zoetis, so we have not begun to vaccinate any of our animals against COVID-19.
We have been able to eliminate encephalomyocarditis (EMC) as a cause of death but are still awaiting results on other zoonotic diseases.
We have surveyed and are testing the vegetation in the habitat and feed yard. As a precaution, we removed a few trees & trimmed back the grazing & browsing spots in these areas. We are confident that we’ve eliminated possible risks that may have come from within the habitat and feel very confident in allowing animals back into these spaces.
We are talking to experts daily & relying on lab results to guide us toward a possible source that would cause the type of liver damage seen in the necropsy in both animals. We still believe exposure to a toxin is a potential connection given the abnormal liver enzymes, but we are exploring every possible cause – from bacteria, to parasite, to diseases.
We have been closely monitoring the giraffes & other hoofstock for any signs of symptoms & conducting regular blood draws to look at liver enzyme levels. We are happy to report we are not seeing signs of any ongoing issues. We wish we had more definitive answers to share with you, but know that we are working tirelessly to pinpoint exactly what happened and that we will keep you informed as we know more.