2013-01-03 — /travelprnews.com/ — Cause of death is currently unknown
WHO: Mona, a 7-year-old adult female giraffe, died suddenly at Zoo Atlanta on January 2, 2013. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
WHAT: The giraffes were not on exhibit on January 2 as a result of wet conditions in their yard following heavy rains on New Year’s Day. Mona was in a behind-the-scenes outdoor corral when she collapsed.
“This is a tragic loss for the Zoo Atlanta family – especially so because it was extremely sudden. Mona had shown no signs of illness or distress prior to her abrupt collapse,” said Dwight Lawson, PhD, Deputy Director. “The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams are currently working to identify any potential condition or circumstance which may have contributed to her death.”
Updates will be shared as details are available. As is the case with all animal deaths, regardless of age, a necropsy has been scheduled for Thursday, January 3, through the Zoo’s partnership with the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The partnership combines the expertise of researchers from the University of Georgia Infectious Diseases Laboratory, based in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, and pathologists from the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Pathology.
Born November 24, 2005, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Mona and her half-sister Glenda, 6, traveled to Atlanta in October 2007 to join the Zoo’s adult male, Abu, 7. Mona was the mother of Lily, born July 22, 2011, at Zoo Atlanta.
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WHERE: Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30315
CONTACT: Keisha N. Hines, Director of Public Relations and Communications
404.624.5980 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
khines@zooatlanta.org
ABOUT: About Zoo Atlanta
An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta inspires value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,500 animals from around the world. A slate of new up-close-and-personal experiences opened in spring 2012: giraffe feeding, permitting guests to hand-feed Earth’s tallest living land mammals, and Wild Encounters, three new behind-the-scenes adventures with African elephants, giant pandas and Komodo dragon. Other highlights include the nation’s largest collection of western lowland gorillas, the nation’s largest zoological collection of orangutans and a global center of excellence for the care and study of vanishing reptiles and amphibians. The Zoo is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, call 404.624.WILD or visit zooatlanta.org.