Roger Williams Park Zoo Announces Death Of Amber The Giraffe
Roger Williams Park Zoo announced the sad news after euthanizing their 26-year-old Masai giraffe Amber.
Amber had been suffering health issues for quite some time at the zoo. First losing her sight due to cataracts.
The zoo posted to Facebook saying they had tried to find another facility that had managed a blind giraffe before, but were unsuccessful.
They did get advice from other institutions and say the animal care staff was able to help Amber adjust to her blindness and maintain a good quality of life for an "extended period at the Zoo."
If you had been to Roger Williams Park Zoo recently you would have noticed that Amber was kept indoors and away from the other giraffes.
Sadly she had developed other health issues recently and her overall wellness had declined.
Veterinary and animal care staff decided to euthanize her humanly.
At 26-years-old, Amber was the oldest Masai giraffe in North America. The average age for a giraffe in captivity is 17, so she had definitely gone above and beyond that.
She was born in Cleveland on August 8, 1991 and came to Roger Williams Park Zoo in May of 1992.
There is a tribute board for messages to Amber up now at the Zoo's Textron Elephant and Giraffe Pavilion.