Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo mourns death of oldest giraffe
After determining that she could no longer stand on her own, the vet staff decided to euthanize her.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo announced the death of their oldest giraffe, Dottie, who was 22 years old.
Tuesday morning, Dottie was found lying down on her side in the giraffe barn by the keeper staff, unable to stand back up.
“Getting up from laying down is a concerted massive effort even for a young healthy giraffe due to their large body mass,” explained Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt, associate
veterinarian for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.
After determining that she could no longer stand on her own, the vet staff at the zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize her.
In 2019, she was under close monitoring and medical care for osteoarthritis resulting in overgrown hooves.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, zoo staff collaborated with hoof trimming specialists and were able to trim her hooves so she could walk comfortably for as long as possible.
Dottie was the oldest giraffe currently living at the zoo.
According to the zoo, the average life expectancy for a female giraffe is about 20.2 years and for a male is about 14.7 years.
“Dottie was able to share another three years of her life with her family group, including recently becoming an ‘auntie’ to new giraffe calf Arthur. Dottie was well-loved by all that had the chance to know her,” said Dr. Kleinschmidt.
Dottie was born on Sept. 13, 1999, and has been a resident of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium her whole life. She is the mother to three calves, two of which have been moved to other zoos as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
