The Dallas Zoo has made the difficult decision to euthanize a 15-year-old giraffe named Ferrell after surgery revealed that damage to his jaw sustained in a fall would seriously affect his quality of life.
On Monday, the Zoo announced the news of the giraffe’s death on Facebook and x.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our 15-year-old giraffe, Ferrell,” the zoo said in a statement on X. “We are all completely devastated by this sudden loss. Please keep our staff in your thoughts as we go through this challenging time.”
The zoo took to Facebook to share details of Ferrell’s prognosis that led to their decision. According to the post, the giraffe injured its jaw after falling into a barn within the facility. The animal care team and veterinarians “quickly assessed his condition and determined that the injury required surgical consultation.”
During surgery, the team discovered that Ferrell had dislocated his jaw so severely that it could not be repaired. Due to its size and the nature of the injury, the giraffe would have great difficulty eating and would likely require a tongue amputation in the future.
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“Given this prognosis and the impact on Ferrell’s quality of life, the team made the incredibly difficult decision to humanely euthanize Ferrell on Sunday, December 31st,” the post continued.
The zoo also noted that this is not Ferrell’s first jaw injury. When he was about 2 years old, he injured his jaw, which made him unable to “keep his tongue in his mouth”. His old injury mixed with his new one led the team to decide that the best course of action would be to euthanize him.
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According to the Dallas Zoo’s official website, Ferrell was one of six giraffes in their herd. The remaining giraffes are Tebogo, Katie, Chrystal, Five and Kendi. Last March, Chrystal gave birth a calf named Kora.
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Source: HIS Education