That is upsetting. Giraffes are one of my favs and Twiga has always been there for my visits. I saw her as a calf and we grew up together. Now I feel bad I didn't swing through Africa on my last visit. No way to know naturally but reaffirms my need to see my favourites every chance I get now that they are reaching that point.
I'm so thankful she was able to hang on long enough for Kiko to arrive. Ever since Ginetta's death in Jan 2014 I have been worried something might happen to Twiga and leave Mstari alone. At least she has Kiko now and if one wants to look at the positive side it will push the ssp to give us another female as soon as they can.
For those of you who don't know much about Twiga... She was born Oct 3 1990 at the zoo to parents Cecil (or which ever of the 4 names we used for him) and Heidi. Twiga got a rough start to life because her mother died within days of her birth and thus had to be hand reared. Her mother was an import from Europe so her genetics have been hugely important to pass along. She did have 3 older brothers; an unnamed male who at 10 days old; Gizmo who died at 18 months during some type of medical procedure; and Sky who died the day he arrived at Greater Vancouver Zoo. None never bred. She spent her whole life with half sister Ginetta. Stripes was her only breeding partner. Together they produced 7 calves not the 9 the zoo claimed.
1990 she gave birth to a female who survived a day.
1998 saw birth of son Janja/Gerome who died in 2010 at Mountain View Breeding and Conservation Center. He sired a single female calf that survived just 2 days. That was for the best though because the mother was his half sister through Stripes and cousin through Ginetta.
2000 Twiga welcomed son Mowgli who died in 2012 at Toledo Zoo. There he sired 5 calves. In 2005 he had daughter Zahara who died at Louisville during a medical procedure in 2008 related to spinal problems. In 2006 daughter Akilah was born. She too died young at Cincinnati in 2010 due to a heart condition. 2008 was a stillborn female. In 2009 his only son Enzi was born. He was transferred to the Wilds and then to Columbus Zoo. And finally 2011 saw the birth of daughter Tuli who is still at Toledo and just about to enter breeding age.
2003 Twiga gave birth to daughter Aisha who lived at Parc Safari until her death in 2011. I dont know if she ever bred while there but based on a lack of male except for one year where her full brother Shomari/Michael was there I don't think she had access to a male.
2004 Twiga gave birth to so Teeko who died at Elmvale Jungle zoo in 2006. He never lived long enough to breed.
2006 Twiga welcomed son Shomari/Michael who currently lives at Santa Barbara Zoo. There he has sired 4 calves. in April 2014 he sired first a daughter Sunshine who now lives in Pheonix then ten days later a son Dane who lives at Cameron Park. In 2014 he fathered son Buttercup and in 2015 daughter Asha arrived.
2013 finally brought us Mstari.
Of her 8 living descendants... Son Michael is the top ranked male. Grandsons Dane, Buttercup are ranked 2 and 3, grandson Enzi is ranked 5th, granddaughter Tuli is ranked 14th or higher (there are some older females ahead of her who could have died) and granddaughters Sunshine and Asha are likely high ranked but could be lower based on their mothers rankings. Odds are that based on full brother Michael's ranking and Twiga's death, Mstari is probably the top ranked female as of today. Twiga had been the number one female. By comparison Kiko is about 23rd ranked, give or take births and deaths above him. Hopefully Twiga will live on in many descendants once her 6 grandkids and Mstari join Michael as breeders.
