Great Plains Zoo announces death of beloved giraffe

Chioke, a reticulated giraffe who lived at the Great Plains Zoo, has died.

The zoo’s team made “the difficult but responsible decision to humanely euthanize him” after a severe fracture in his front left foot.

Chioke was born in 2006 at Busch Gardens in Tampa and came to Sioux Falls in 2007. He grew from 8 feet to 15 feet tall and sired three calves who have gone on to live at other zoos.

Visitors would have seen Chioke chewing on a single piece of hay, which he usually would swap out for kale or a favorite biscuit. As a young giraffe, he loved hitting a jug filled with rocks to send them flying, along with kicking a boomer ball around the yard. Each time he went in or out, he would pause in the door of the giraffe barn to scratch his head.

Chioke lived with ongoing hoof and foot issues during the latter part of his life, according to a statement from the zoo.

They were medically managed with stall rest with increased bedding, anti-inflammatory pain medications, joint supplements, voluntary hoof care and laser therapy. He was also trained for voluntary X-rays, which were essential in providing a diagnosis and full understanding of the situation when he fractured his left front P2 bone in March. A P2 fracture is less common and much more severe than the P3 fractures he’d experienced earlier, the zoo said.

Caretakers found lameness in his foot during a routine morning check and don’t know how the fracture was sustained overnight. Vets who had worked with the giraffe in the past were consulted, and input was taken from across the country, but  “it was agreed that an immobilization for surgery or an orthopedic device was not in Chioke’s best interest given his other injuries and the degree of arthritis present,” the zoo said. “A thermal imaging camera was purchased to help monitor progress. Recheck X-rays were taken and showed that his fracture had become more displaced, and he was showing signs of stress. The entire team gathered, and the decision was made to euthanize due to quality-of-life concerns.”

The loss means there is one giraffe remaining at the zoo, Olivia Dee, who is “getting extra enrichment and attention from her care team, while we work with our AZA partners to bring her a new giraffe companion,” the zoo said in a statement.

Staff at the zoo were able to visit the giraffe and say goodbye, and grief counseling and mental health support are being made available.

Visitors are encouraged to share their memories on the zoo’s Facebook page.

“We remember Chioke as a gentle, curious, mischievous giraffe who was always up for feedings and interacting with his keepers and guests,” the zoo said. “‘Chioke’ means ‘gift from God,’ and he certainly was.”