Giraffe Dies at Western Illinois Zoo

COAL VALLEY, Ill. (AP) — Officials at a western Illinois zoo say a 12-year-old female giraffe has died.

Niabi Zoo officials say “Mimi” the giraffe died around 1 a.m. Monday. The body has been sent to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine where a veterinary pathologist will complete a necropsy.

Director Marc Heinzman says it’s a terrible loss for the zoo.

Mimi had been under the care of veterinary staff after zoo staff noticed she wasn’t ruminating or “chewing cud” properly. Heinzman says giraffes have four chambered stomas and get nutrients by chewing and regurgitating their food until it’s fully digested.

In July, the zoo euthanized a giraffe calf named Genesis who wasn’t able to recover from a leg injury.

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