Visitors had previously seen the animal lying motionless on its side and alerted the zoo team.
According to the zoo management, the 14-year-old giraffe had shown no signs of health problems. Furthermore, there were no indications of an accident or external cause of death at the location where she was found.
Veterinarian Suspects Internal Trauma
Zoo Director Rasem Baban described the event as a shock for the entire team: “When an animal dies so unexpectedly, it is naturally a shock for everyone involved – especially for the animal care team and the veterinarians.” Bahati was immediately taken to pathology for an examination.
According to the head veterinarian, Dr. Christine Gohl, initial findings point to a trauma in the front neck area, which may have occurred without any external influence and could have been very quickly fatal. More precise details will only be provided by further examinations.
Giraffes are Part of a European Conservation Program
Bahati was born in Frankfurt Zoo and came to Munich in 2013 at the age of two. Three other female giraffes currently live at Hellabrunn: Baridi (10 years), Makena (10 years), and Zawadi (9 years). The zoo participates in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for reticulated giraffes and is committed to the protection of this threatened species.
Giraffes can live 15 to 20 years in the wild, and sometimes up to 25 years in human care.
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