- With Obi, Zurich Zoo is losing an important breeding animal for the endangered reticulated giraffes.
- The giraffe bull succumbed to his serious leg injury despite intensive veterinary care.
- The zoo is now waiting to assign a new bull as there are few male animals in European zoos.
The Zurich Zoo has sad news to report: the bull giraffe Obi has died after a serious leg injury. “Despite intensive veterinary care for more than a week, no improvement in his condition could be achieved,” the zoo said in a statement.
In the last few days, the animal had increasingly deteriorated, lost strength and was ultimately no longer able to stand on its own. “Since there was no prospect of successful treatment of the injury from a veterinary perspective, the zoo decided to euthanize in the interest of animal welfare.”
Leg injuries pose a major medical challenge
The zoo also explains that leg injuries in giraffes represent a particularly significant medical challenge. “Due to their special body structure, even comparatively small impairments can have significant effects on the entire organism.”
Despite pain therapy, rest and close monitoring, the exact cause of the injury remained unclear and could not be clearly reconstructed even afterwards.
The story of Obi
Obi was intended as a breeding bull as part of the European conservation breeding program and was intended to contribute to the conservation of the endangered reticulated giraffes with the females in Zurich. “His loss is particularly serious, as there are currently only a few male animals in European zoos,” the zoo continued.
In the long term, however, breeding remains crucial to ensure a stable reserve population. Zurich Zoo is now waiting for a new bull to be assigned.
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