Cherished Kansas City Missouri Giraffe Passes Away at 29

Another sad story from a Missouri zoo as they announce the passing of a cherished and beloved giraffe Mahali.

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The Kansas City Zoo reported the loss yesterday and according to KMBC Mahali was euthanized worsening chronic conditions. What made Mahali so special was that she was one of the oldest Masai Giraffe in North America. So she was extremely special to everyone at the Kansas City Zoo and the entire nation.

Masai giraffes are the tallest mammal in the world and come from Africa. Mahali was born in July of 1994 and made the Kansas City Zoo her home in 1995. She was a mom to three caves and many grandchildren. So it's safe to say that Mahali had a great life and was loved.

Her animal care specialists described Mahali as “the ultimate giraffe,” who was especially a great mom and grandma, often serving as a maternal figure to giraffes that weren’t her own. They will fondly remember “Mo” as being smart and excelling at learning new behaviors, even as recently as this past summer, that allowed her to participate in her own health care.

If you ever get a chance to go to the Kansas City Zoo go. It's amazing (not free like the St. Louis Zoo) and you get to see animals in different ways. The giraffes can be seen from above when you take the African Sky Safari which takes you across approximately 1,500 feet at 40 feet above ground and lasts about seven minutes.