One of Chaffee Zoo’s most popular animals dies. She ‘was full of personality’
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s oldest giraffe, Uzuri, has died, the zoo announced Tuesday.
Uzuri was euthanized after battling progressive arthritis, officials said. She was 26.
Zoo staff had been monitoring and treating Uzuri’s degenerative joint disease since 2017.
Early treatment included supplements, but the disease progressed and animal care staff added medications to treat her disease as well as alleviate her pain from it.
“Recently, Uzuri began showing decreased activity and an abnormal gait,” Dr. Shannon Nodolf, the zoo’s chief veterinary officer, said in a news release. “Radiographs confirmed worsening joint disease. Due to diminishing quality of life, the decision was made for euthanasia.”
Zoo officials said Uzuri was one of the oldest reticulated giraffes in human care and surpassed the median life expectancy of 19 years for a female giraffe living at a zoo.
Just recently, zookeepers celebrated her birthday with a cake made with some of her favorite snacks, including applesauce, honey, raspberry gelatin, apple slices and lettuce.
Uzuri, whose name means beautiful in Swahili, was well known to zoo guests as a frequent presence at Twiga Terrace, the giraffe feeding platform.
Zookeepers remember her as full of personality — stubborn and cheeky — but also eager to greet them every morning.
She was born in 1993 at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and arrived in Fresno in 1995.
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This story was originally published May 5, 2020 at 5:14 PM.
