Giraffe at New Jersey zoo dies of complications after dental procedure

A well-loved 11-year-old giraffe was having problems eating and the zoo veterinarian hoped to give him a better quality of life.

Photo via Wikimedia by GFDL / CC  BY-SA 3.O

11-year-old Hodari was an 18-foot-tall Masai giraffe, living at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange. He died on Wednesday from complications during a dental procedure.

Hodari underwent surgery on Wednesday afternoon after exhibiting what Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said was “strange behavior.” Vets had found Hodari was finding it difficult to eat and decided to put the giraffe under anesthesia and operate on his teeth.

Zoo veterinarian Dr. Jon Bergmann said they believed the surgery would give Hodari a better quality of life and improve his general health. They hoped it would allow the giraffe a chance to thrive at the Turtle Back Zoo. However, Bergmann did say they knew there were risks when putting an animal of the giraffe’s size under anesthesia, but said they also knew fixing his teeth would be beneficial to the animal.

DiVincenzo said when Hodari went under anesthetic for his initial exam, there were no negative effects. It was the second time the giraffe went under that complications arose. Veterinarians will be performing a necropsy to determine the exact cause of Hodari’s death and results are expected to take around a month.

Hodari the Masai giraffe was born at San Diego Zoo and moved to Turtle Back with three other giraffes in December 2015 to live in the zoo’s three-acre Giraffe House. 

According to a post by the zoo on Facebook, Hodari was a beautiful animal who quickly became a fan favorite. They said they, and his fans, will miss him terribly.