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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎12-17-2012

Kipenzi, the baby giraffe whose birth at the Dallas Zoo on April 10 was seen live by over two million people on Animal Planet, died Tuesday after an accident at the zoo. The three-month-old giraffe was running back and forth in the yard with her half-brother Kopano, when she hit something and broke three vertebrae on her neck, Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday.

The incident happened at about 5:30 p.m. when the keepers were moving the giraffe herd to the night barn. Keepers said, according to Dallas Morning News, that there were no witnesses to the incident, which will be investigated Wednesday. The zoo announced on social media that the employees were devastated.

“Kipenzi will always remain in our hearts, and while tears are flowing freely here tonight, we are eternally grateful for the millions of smiles she gave us all,” the Dallas Zoo said on its Facebook page, adding: “Her stardom brought attention to the plight of wild giraffes in Africa, helped raise more than $35,000 for giraffe conservation and sparked conversations about her incredibly majestic species.”

Fate whispers to her, "You cannot withstand the storm." She whispers back, "I am the storm."

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

Oh boy, I am saddened to read this news.

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Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

Oh no  Smiley Sad

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Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

I saw that, what a shame.  I love giraffes. 

Honored Contributor
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Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

 

 

So sad.  Such beautiful gentle creatures.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,153
Registered: ‎05-22-2012

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

Such sad news! I came home from work and stumbled across the live broadcast of the birth and was transfixed until they stopped filming. I really hope Animal Planet does more of this kind of thing.

Regular Contributor
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Registered: ‎06-01-2015

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

this is sad news I watched her birth I love giraffes have been very fortunate to have been on a safari and watched them in the wild nothing like it graceful beautiful animals.   

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

I know zoos think they are helping animals but it would be so much better if animals meant to live in the wild (if they had to be in captivity at all) could be in very large sanctuaries instead of zoos.  It seems to me fewer incidents like this could happen - and fewer incidents like the baby gorilla killed when a cage door trapped her in San Francisco. 

The sanctuary in Tennessee for elephants is a great example.  elephants.com 

(Obviously, gorillas or other great apes would need a different type of arrangement than being "free range" like an elephant or giraffe.)

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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎06-15-2015

Re: RIP baby giraffe, Kipenzi

This sad news.

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