Staff are “devastated and hurting” after a two-year-old Masai giraffe died while under general anesthesia, the Toronto Zoo said.
Matu, whose species is considered endangered by the International Union of Conservation and Nature, was undergoing a castration procedure Thursday morning when he stopped breathing and died, the zoo said in a news release.
“Our entire Toronto Zoo team is in mourning and we know this will be difficult news to process for our broader zoo community,” the zoo said. “If you are visiting the zoo in the coming days, we respectfully ask you to give our team space as we process this loss and grieve his (Matu’s) passing.
“Due to the nature of the event, we will be providing our staff with access to grief counselling services.”
The zoo said staff did an “incredible job” planning for the procedure months in advance but knew there would be risks, especially with large vertebrates like giraffes. The decision to perform the castration was made so Matu could remain with his family group, including his mother and sister, with the zoo saying it was the “best thing for his well-being.”
“As we continue to learn about the importance of the individual animal’s experiences, physical health, behavioural health and overall environment, we want to ensure that animals residing in our care are given every opportunity to thrive,” the zoo said, adding animal welfare is the priority.
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The zoo said Matu’s genetic material was collected and will be housed in their biobank to help ensure the survival of Masai giraffes. There are fewer than 35,000 of them left in the wild, according to the zoo, with the species declining by 50% over the last 30 years, mostly due to illegal hunting and habitat loss.
A necropsy will also be conducted to determine the cause of death. The zoo said it will provide information when results are available.