R.I.P, Nairobi; Beloved Giraffe at Six Flags Dies at 25 Years Old

Beloved giraffe Nairobi was euthanized at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom after living a long life in the amusement park, representatives said today.

Park officials said the 25-year-old giraffe’s quality of life had diminished greatly due to her advanced age.

She died Tuesday after outliving nearly 90 percent of other female giraffes in her subspecies under human care, which typically live in their late teens or early 20s.

Standing 18 feet tall, the 1,600-pound animal was a favorite among staff and guests, park president Don McCoy said.

“Her elegance and stately manner, coupled with her quiet demeanor made her a great ambassador of her species,” McCoy said in a statement. “She will be sorely missed by everyone here.”

Nairobi was a reticulated giraffe, the most commonly known of the nine subspecies of giraffe. The species is characterized by the unique mosaic patterns of their fur, park representatives said.

As with all giraffe species, park officials said reticulated giraffe are considered endangered because of poaching and increased human encroachment.

Nairobi was born in the park and bore no offspring.

Park representatives said she would be remembered as the most independent and largest of her herd, which included two other females and a male, and was fond of green onions and leafy vegetation.

--Bay City News