There’s some sad news coming out of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.
Staff and giraffe fans around the world are saying goodbye to Mashama (pronounced muh-SHAW-muh), a beloved giraffe who passed away early Sunday morning.
What Was Happing with Mashama?
Zoo staff says he had bouts of lethargy and a decreased appetite, but he was still having far more good days than bad ones. Despite regular monitoring and weekly diagnostics, caretakers were never able to pinpoint a cause.
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Sadly, Mashama died around 1 a.m. on March 8 after experiencing occasional “off” days over the past few months.
Mashama would have turned 16 on March 23, which is about the median life expectancy for a male giraffe living in human care.
More About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Resident Giraffe
Born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Mashama spent his entire life there and made quite an impression along the way. If you’ve ever fed lettuce to the giraffes or snapped a selfie with one chewing with its mouth wide open, there’s a good chance it was him…