An endangered 13-year-old giraffe has died after getting caught in a door in his zoo habitat.
Kiko, a male Masai giraffe, was born at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina before he was moved to the Toronto Zoo in Ontario, Canada.
The beloved giraffe met a tragic end last Thursday after being given access to some extra space in his “behind-the-scenes” habitat, the Toronto Zoo said in a press release.
Curious Kiko, who was being treated for a hoof injury in recent months, began exploring the area and then “tragically became caught in an opening door,” the zoo said. The zoo explained Masai giraffes have delicate heads that can shift positions quickly. Zoo staff tried to help Kiko, but he panicked and was fatally injured, “due to the unique anatomy of his species.”
The new year “has begun in the most heartbreaking way with the sudden and tragic loss of Kiko,” the zoo said.
Masai giraffes were once the most common type of giraffe but they have suffered from poaching and loss of natural habitat.
In 2018, they were listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their population had declined by nearly 50 percent over three decades, and today, there are just more than 43,000 Masai giraffes alive, according to the zoo.
“Masai giraffes in the wild are under severe pressure, which makes the loss of one individual in human care especially heartbreaking,” the zoo said.
But there is hope for the endangered species as their population has begun to slowly grow over the past five years due to conservation efforts such as the one that brought Kiko to the Toronto Zoo.
At the zoo, Kiko was part of a breeding program that paired him with female giraffe Mstari. Kiko had sired two calves and a third is due early this year.
“While we mourn this significant loss, we are focused on supporting our team as well as Mstari as she is in the later stages of her pregnancy,” the zoo said. “We ask that you please keep our staff and volunteers in your thoughts during this incredibly difficult time and join us in remembering and honoring Kiko – a magnificent giraffe who touched so many hearts.”
Kiko’s body has been sent to the University of Guelph in Ontario for a full postmortem. His death is currently under investigation by the zoo.
The Greenville Zoo sent its love after hearing about Kiko’s passing, writing on Facebook, “Kiko was the first calf of Autumn our female Masai giraffe. Our keepers followed his development and celebrated his fatherhood. We feel your sadness.”
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