We are deeply saddened to announce the death of one of our giraffes.

Update: We are deeply saddened and shocked by the death of Irsula, one of our giraffes.

After she collapsed suddenly, our teams were extremely quick to react and attend to Irsula, but she had sadly died. Our talented keepers and veterinarians work very closely with our animals, and Irsula showed no signs of illness, nor was she undergoing treatment for any health conditions. We are awaiting the results of a full postmortem examination to establish the cause of death.

Irsula was born in 2008 and arrived at Marwell in the summer of 2011. She played an important role in conserving her species, giving birth to one calf, Ruby, in 2012. Ruby has since lived at Marwell, alongside Christa and Makeda.

Ian Goodwin, Animal Collection Manager (Hoofstock, Animal Services & Fencing) said: “She was a favourite among the keepers, very confident and had her naughty moments! She would regularly test the keepers and see how far she could push her luck! But that made her the character that she was and that everyone enjoyed working with. She will be greatly missed.”

We’d like to thank all of our guests for their support and understanding while our teams attended to Irsula. She will be greatly missed by us all at the zoo.

First posted: 16/08/2022