Fourth giraffe under the care of BioParque do Rio dies – 07/08/2023 – Environment

A fourth giraffe imported from South Africa to Brazil and under the care of the BioParque do Rio zoo died this Saturday morning (8).

According to the park administrator, the presence of the parasite was identified Haemoncus sp in six of the animals. Veterinarians then adopted drug treatment and isolation of the animals. Five of them showed a positive response to care, but one giraffe was resistant to the drugs. Other measures were adopted, but the clinical condition suddenly worsened, and the animal died.

An autopsy, with monitoring by competent bodies, will still be carried out to confirm the cause of death, concluded the administrator.

The giraffe is one of the 18 that came from South Africa to Brazil. All animals arrived in the country on November 11, 2021. They would stay temporarily in Portobello until they were transferred to BioParque, Rio’s zoo. Just over a month later, on December 14, five broke out of confinement.

In the action to capture them, three giraffes died. The deaths, however, were only communicated 50 days later, raising the suspicion of the authorities.

The Federal Police and the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office opened inquiries and found that the animals had been mistreated, had been removed from the wild and had their importation process adulterated. Currently, four defendants respond in Federal Court for accusations ranging from mistreatment to import fraud.

According to the necropsy carried out by veterinarians from the BioParque itself, the death of the three giraffes was caused by a muscular disease called myopathy. In the complaint presented to the Federal Court, the prosecution pointed out that the illness was motivated by intense suffering and extreme stress.

According to the Federal Public Ministry, the giraffes suffered mistreatment until at least May last year, when the resort and the BioParque carried out readjustment works.

According to Inea (State Institute for the Environment), which monitored these interventions, giraffes now live in enclosures ranging from 650 m^two at 990 m^two. Separated into five spaces —divided into five groups of three—, they have free access to an outdoor area, which has water and food.

In a note previously sent to Sheet, BioParque stated that it strictly followed Brazilian and South African regulations to bring in the giraffes. The company also denied allegations that the animals were taken from the wild.

“Official documents issued by the government of South Africa attest that the animals lived in a farm with sustainable management, approved by the official bodies of the country”, says the company.

Now, with the fourth death, there are still 14 giraffes left in the park. Ibama, responsible for inspecting giraffes, says it is still evaluating a solution. BioParque do Rio, which takes care of the animals, says it follows safety protocols and procedures that value their well-being.