PHOENIX — A giraffe living at the Phoenix Zoo has passed away after several months of medical treatment and close observation for difficulty in navigating her surroundings.
The Zoo says Makope was 14 years old and passed away on Thursday.
After it appeared Makope, a reticulated giraffe, had started to improve, things changed recently, the zoo said in a statement.
"She unexpectedly started to decline a couple of days ago and was being closely cared for by veterinary, curator, and keeper staff," the zoo wrote. "On Thursday, she developed sudden neurologic abnormalities and shortly thereafter passed away on her own."
Makope was born 14.5 years ago on the Savanna exhibit, the zoo said.
"She was by far our most mischievous and outgoing giraffe. She was a mainstay at our giraffe deck and a favorite among many for her penchant for reaching trees just outside the exhibit to munch on, being inquisitive about her surroundings and just being a reliable, steady influence on our giraffe herd."
The zoo says Makope's half sister, Zuri, is the zoo's last reticulated giraffe. Makope’s name is derived from Swahili, meaning eyelashes.
The zoo says Makope is being sent to Mid
Makope is being sent to Midwestern University for a full necropsy and cause of death will be pending histopathology reports in a few weeks.
