5-year-old female giraffe that suffered neck injury dies during procedure at Tulsa Zoo

5-year-old female giraffe dies at Tulsa Zoo

TULSA, Okla. — A 5-year-old female giraffe that suffered a neck injury while being transported to the Tulsa Zoo from Ohio has died.

Zoo officials said Friday that the giraffe named “Amali” died during a procedure to examine her injury.

Zoo spokesman Angela Evans says the injury was discovered Oct. 18 when Amali arrived after being transported from the Wilds zoo in Ohio. Amali and another female giraffe were brought to Tulsa to breed with the zoo’s male giraffe.

Evans says veterinary specialists from Oklahoma State University sedated Amali on Thursday so that X-rays could be taken. She says the animal’s condition quickly deteriorated after the procedure.

Tulsa Zoo veterinarian Dr. Kay Backues the animal had a broken growth plate in her neck, resulting damage to her vertebrae.