One of the oldest male giraffes in the UK passes away at Dudley Zoo
A male giraffe at Dudley Zoo has sadly been "put to sleep" after the deterioration of his health.
Kubwa, who was 22-years-old, had been undergoing treatment for a long-term health condition, but following consultations with the zoo’s veterinary team, the decision was made on Thursday to put him to sleep.
He had been at Dudley Zoo and Castle for almost 13 years and was one of the oldest male giraffes in a UK zoo.
A statement on the Dudley Zoo website said: Everyone at DZC is understandably saddened at the loss of one of the site’s biggest characters.
"He was also well-loved by visitors and was one of our most adopted animals, with all his current adopters notified of the news by post."
Kubwa was born in the Netherlands in the year 2000 and came to Dudley from Cumbria as part of an international breeding programme.
During his time at the zoo, he sired four offspring.
The zoo's statement continued: "His two surviving calves, three-year-old daughter, Kira, remains here at DZC with her mum, Josie, while eight-year-old Kito, who relocated to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol in 2018, has gone on to sire his own offspring."
