Stock image of giraffe.Photo:GettyThe Dallas Zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize a 15-year-old giraffe, named Ferrell, after surgery revealed the damaged he sustained to his jaw in a fall would severely impact his quality of life.On Monday, the zoo announced the news of the giraffe’s death on Facebook andX.“With a heavy heart, we announce the passing of our 15-year-old giraffe, Ferrell,” the zoo’s statement on X read. “This sudden loss has left us all completely heartbroken. We kindly ask that you keep our staff in your thoughts as we navigate through this challenging time.“The zoo shared the details of Ferrell’s prognosis which led to their decision onFacebook. According to the post, the giraffe injured his jaw after falling in a barn on the premises. The animal care team and veterinarians “quickly assessed his condition and determined the injury required a surgical consult.“During the operation, the team discovered that Ferrell had dislocated his jaw so severely it was beyond repair. Because of his size and the nature of the injury, the giraffe would have great difficulty eating and would likely need a tongue amputation in the future.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Given this prognosis, and the impact on Ferrell’s quality of life, the team made the incredibly difficult decision to humanely euthanize Ferrell on Sunday, December 31,” the post continued.The zoo also noted that this wasn’t Ferrell’s first jaw injury. When he was around age 2, he injured his jaw, making it impossible for him “to hold his tongue in his mouth.” His old injury compounded with the new one led the team to decide the best course of action would be to euthanize him.Per theDallas Zoo’s official website, Ferrell was one of six giraffes in their herd. The remaining giraffes are Tebogo, Katie, Chrystal, Five and Kendi. Last March, Chrystal gave birth toa calf named Kora.
Stock image of giraffe.Photo:Getty
Getty
The Dallas Zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize a 15-year-old giraffe, named Ferrell, after surgery revealed the damaged he sustained to his jaw in a fall would severely impact his quality of life.On Monday, the zoo announced the news of the giraffe’s death on Facebook andX.“With a heavy heart, we announce the passing of our 15-year-old giraffe, Ferrell,” the zoo’s statement on X read. “This sudden loss has left us all completely heartbroken. We kindly ask that you keep our staff in your thoughts as we navigate through this challenging time.“The zoo shared the details of Ferrell’s prognosis which led to their decision onFacebook. According to the post, the giraffe injured his jaw after falling in a barn on the premises. The animal care team and veterinarians “quickly assessed his condition and determined the injury required a surgical consult.“During the operation, the team discovered that Ferrell had dislocated his jaw so severely it was beyond repair. Because of his size and the nature of the injury, the giraffe would have great difficulty eating and would likely need a tongue amputation in the future.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Given this prognosis, and the impact on Ferrell’s quality of life, the team made the incredibly difficult decision to humanely euthanize Ferrell on Sunday, December 31,” the post continued.The zoo also noted that this wasn’t Ferrell’s first jaw injury. When he was around age 2, he injured his jaw, making it impossible for him “to hold his tongue in his mouth.” His old injury compounded with the new one led the team to decide the best course of action would be to euthanize him.Per theDallas Zoo’s official website, Ferrell was one of six giraffes in their herd. The remaining giraffes are Tebogo, Katie, Chrystal, Five and Kendi. Last March, Chrystal gave birth toa calf named Kora.
The Dallas Zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize a 15-year-old giraffe, named Ferrell, after surgery revealed the damaged he sustained to his jaw in a fall would severely impact his quality of life.
On Monday, the zoo announced the news of the giraffe’s death on Facebook andX.
“With a heavy heart, we announce the passing of our 15-year-old giraffe, Ferrell,” the zoo’s statement on X read. “This sudden loss has left us all completely heartbroken. We kindly ask that you keep our staff in your thoughts as we navigate through this challenging time.”
The zoo shared the details of Ferrell’s prognosis which led to their decision onFacebook. According to the post, the giraffe injured his jaw after falling in a barn on the premises. The animal care team and veterinarians “quickly assessed his condition and determined the injury required a surgical consult.”
During the operation, the team discovered that Ferrell had dislocated his jaw so severely it was beyond repair. Because of his size and the nature of the injury, the giraffe would have great difficulty eating and would likely need a tongue amputation in the future.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Given this prognosis, and the impact on Ferrell’s quality of life, the team made the incredibly difficult decision to humanely euthanize Ferrell on Sunday, December 31,” the post continued.
The zoo also noted that this wasn’t Ferrell’s first jaw injury. When he was around age 2, he injured his jaw, making it impossible for him “to hold his tongue in his mouth.” His old injury compounded with the new one led the team to decide the best course of action would be to euthanize him.
Per theDallas Zoo’s official website, Ferrell was one of six giraffes in their herd. The remaining giraffes are Tebogo, Katie, Chrystal, Five and Kendi. Last March, Chrystal gave birth toa calf named Kora.
source: people.com
