A leg injury meant Sota would not be able to hold his own weight and his 'quality of life would decline quickly,” the zoo said.
“During a medical procedure to explore Sota’s swollen ankle joint, the veterinary surgeon was able to determine that the joint did not have any healthy cartilage remaining,” said Dr. Sue Tygielski, the zoo's chief operating officer, in a news release.
Leg health is critically important to giraffes due to their height. With a leg unable to support normal movement and activity, Sota would not be able to hold his own weight and his"quality of life would decline quickly,” Tygielski said. Reid Park Zoo's other giraffes, Penelope and Jasiri,"are doing well. They were given time to visit Sota’s body as he was part of their herd."
Penelope, then 2, and Sota, at age 1, arrived together to Tucson in 2020 from a zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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