The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has bid farewell to another one of its furry family members this month.

In a new release, the zoo announced that Mahali, a “legendary” 22-year-old reticulated giraffe, was euthanized Thursday due to age-related decline in health.

Born at the zoo in May 2003, Mahali was the zoo’s oldest male giraffe, and the second oldest male reticulated giraffe in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums facility in the U.S., according to the release. He was the first calf born in the zoo’s current giraffe barn.

The news of Mahali’s death comes less than a week after the zoo announced the death of its “longest-living resident,” Roxie, a 48-year-old female gorilla. Roxie was also euthanized last week due to age-related decline.

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The zoo staff remembers Mahali as a “self-assured and particular” giraffe, and are grateful for what he taught them. He was described as “tactile” and was known for pushing other members of the herd out of the way to get attention.

According to the zoo, he experienced foot and leg issues which affected his mobility later in life. The giraffe went under anesthesia to receive treatments in 2017 and 2020 that helped him return to a better quality of life. A few years later, his team decided to avoid future treatments with anesthesia and focus on helping him live well by making “environmental accommodations for him.”

“Mahali changed the way we think about caring for aging giraffe,” said Rick Hester, the zoo’s animal behaviors curator. “It’s not often you have the opportunity to work with a male giraffe this old, and once we understood each other, we could try all sorts of accommodations to help him age comfortably.”

He helped zoo staff advance care for giraffe when he allowed them to glue orthopedic shoes on his hooves. As an old giraffe, Mahali also helped his care team understand quality-of-life measurements that made sense for him, the zoo said.

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“Mahali had special needs, and what worked for the rest of the herd wasn’t working for him as he aged, so we worked to find the right nuance for Mahali,” Rick said. “When we were together, we were really focused on each other, and Mahali responded well for many years.”

Mahali and Rick built a communicative and trusting bond, and the two stayed focus on one another during the giraffe’s final years, the zoo said. The giraffe had many years of quality health thanks to his care team, according to the zoo.

Mahali’s final day was a “great” one, according to the zoo’s curator of animal environments and former giraffe animal care manager, Jason Bredahl.

“He went out into the yard with an enthusiasm we hadn’t seen in a few days. He soaked up the sunshine and ate lettuce and tree branches while socializing with his herd and our guests,” Bredahl said. “We’re proud of the ‘bonus years’ we’ve been able to give Mahali, and we’re grateful for all the guests he has inspired and animal welfare he has taught us. It’s always hard when we know it’s time to say goodbye, but it’s also our final act of compassion and stewardship for our animals.”

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