Ndale was placed under anaesthesia yesterday for several essential health procedures including dental treatment.
Hamilton Zoo head veterinarian Richard Sim said the procedure went well and the 19-year-old giraffe was moving around and acting normal by the end of the day.
But when keepers checked on him this morning, they found Ndale on the ground unable to stand.
“The team responded quickly ... and were able to get him on his feet. However, with signs of weakness, he later collapsed, stopped breathing and passed away,” Sim said.
Ndale has been a beloved part of the Hamilton Zoo family since he was one year old. He was a geriatric giraffe, trained to allow keepers to get blood samples.
Team Leader Eddie Cheadle said everybody was devastated.
“Ndale was many of the keepers’ favourite as he was such a chilled-out giraffe who was friendlier than most. He was the giraffe that was most comfortable with keepers at the zoo and holds a special place in many of our hearts,” Cheadle said.
“We are in a bit of shock at his sudden departure and we will miss him a lot.”
At Hamilton Zoo, Ndale was part of a “bachelor herd” of three. After his death, his herd mates Masamba and Dune are Hamilton Zoo’s only giraffes.
Giraffes are native to Southeast Africa and can live between 10 and 15 years in the wild. In captivity, they can live up to the age of 25.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed giraffes as vulnerable.
The name Ndale means “prankster” in the Ngoni dialect of Malawi and was chosen because he was speedy and full of energy, soon after he was born in Auckland Zoon in August 2004.
When he was born Ndale weighed 50kg and was 1.6 metres tall. He was walking within 20 minutes and running after 90 minutes.
The giraffe death comes two days after staff at Auckland Zoo had to euthanise a four-week-old tiger cub after it sustained a head injury from taking a tumble in its habitat.
The Sumatran tiger cub was exploring its habitat on Saturday afternoon when the incident happened.
