CLEVELAND — One of the Cleveland Metroparks most loved animals, Bo the Masai giraffe, died on Wednesday following an illness.
According to the zoo, Bo's health rapidly declined over the last few weeks and veterinarians and staff "made the difficult decision to euthanize him." He was 17-years-old.
Lab tests will be performed to learn what caused his health issues, the zoo said.
Bo had been at the zoo since since 2017 and was the tallest giraffe at the zoo and a favorite at the Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter. The zoo said his height allowed him to reach over the railing to see visitors.
"Bo was an incredible ambassador to his species and his memory will live on through his two offspring at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Kidogo and Kendi, as well as through continued global conservation efforts to protect giraffe species as their populations decline across Africa," the zoo said.
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