Sad new- Taronga looses giraffe » Taronga Zoo

Sad new- Taronga looses giraffe
17-12-2007

No Hope: zoo puts down blind giraffe - National - smh.com.au

despite the awful pun, sadely, this morning, the decision was made to euthanise Hope, the 24 year old giraffe, who was suffering age related illness.

A beautiful giraffe with an amzing story!

17-12-2007

Poor keepers, it must have been very upsetting for them. I hope it at least went smoothly.

17-12-2007

i was there this morning but didnt want to say anything before it came out publically. the zoo was a very very sad place and it was actually quite inspirational to be there and the number of keepers who felt a personal connection to her and were just totally devestated. the whole procedure went smothly and quickly and realistically it was for the better because she had lost a lot of condition in the past few days and was starting to stummble.

but seeing her body being removed from that exhibit is something i never ever want to see again.

rest in peace hope we are all going to miss her so much

18-12-2007

um,
what does one actually do with a dead giraffe? or rhino or elephant for that matter?

18-12-2007

Bones, skulls, dentition, horns, paws and certain body parts may be preserved for education/display purposes.

The rest of the carcass is buried or cremated.

18-12-2007

at adelaide they keep just about everything, theres is a group of VOLUNTEERS at teh zoo who do all the preservation, its funny watching old folks (:P) cut up and rip at exotic animals, just doesnt make sense

21-12-2007

Taronga isn't the only one to lose a giraffe. Just found out that Gerry, a male giraffe at Western Plains has also passed away aged 19. I'm not sure and I'll check when I get home but I think he is the son of Hope who passed away Taronga

24-12-2007

An autopsy of an animal is called necropsy...

I caught my forensic pathologist out at Uni with that one when he was showing us the slides of a autopsy of a man who had been mauled by a Puma (in the neck, gruesome slides) and subsequently the slides of the Puma (which had been shot dead) as he cut open the Puma's stomach and said, "During the autopsy of the Puma", I put up my hand and said, "Don't you mean Necropsy..?", to which he shot me down with something clever I can't remember...

02-07-2008

patrick
Member

Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: melbourne, victoria, australia
Posts: 2,913

um,
what does one actually do with a dead giraffe? or rhino or elephant for that matter?


Sorry my reply to this thread comes so late but just to let you know... when Ranee the elephant died years ago at Taronga they buried her in the old Australian Bird Lawns.
Unfortunately they must have forgotten to check the Master Plan as that is obviously now Backyard to Bush. Believe it or not they then had to dig up and bury her decaying body again elsewhere.
Just thought you might be interested to know that. So much for all the money that goes into the Master Plan!

Regards,
Zooey

04-07-2008

her decaying body? im pretty sure when work started on B2B over three years after she was buried there wouldnt have been too much meat left on her bones.