Tragic end for zoo’s only male giraffe

Suranjith Perera, Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia Group Correspondent

DEHIWALA: The giraffe calf of the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens which was in a critical condition due to blockage of the nostrils died at the zoo’s Veterinary hospital last morning.

Officials of the Park said the calf had fallen into a marshy pit in the area where the giraffes are kept and apparently mud got stuck inside the calf’s nostrils when it struggled to stand up which ultimately resulted in its tragic end.

The calf had fallen back into the pit due to its elongated legs, they added. The two-year- old calf was the only male giraffe in the zoo and now there are only three female giraffes, the officials said.