OMAHA, Neb. — Officials at the Henry Doorly Zoo are trying to determine why an adult male giraffe named Jawara died unexpectedly on November 29.
Animal health teams performed an necropsy and are awaiting test results, the Zoo said in a statement.
“The animal care teams and our entire zoo community are mourning the sudden loss of the patriarch of our giraffe herd,” said Ryan Sears, the Zoo’s curator of large mammals.
Jawara arrived in Omaha in 2010 when he was two years old. Since then, he has sired six calves. Three of his calves are still at the zoo while three have moved to other facilities.
“Jawara was an excellent ambassador for his species and to the millions of guests who visited him during his time at our Zoo. His loss will be felt much farther than here at home,” said Sears.
