Tulsa Zoo Confirms Cause Of Second Giraffe's Death

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa Zoo is confirming its January 10th giraffe death was caused by hypothermia.

Amira was being kept in a heated barn, but it was not warm enough as the temperatures reached nearly zero in the nights leading up to her death.

Tulsa zookeepers said when they noticed Amira was lethargic, they worked to raise her body temperature but it did not work.

01/10/2010 Related Story: Tulsa Zoo: Cold Weather A Suspected Factor In Death Of Second Giraffe

The Tulsa Zoo's lone surviving giraffe, an older male, was kept in the same barn and survived the cold snap.

01/08/2010 Amali Slideshow

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is putting together a team to inspect the zoo facilities and practices at the request of the Tulsa Parks and Recreation Director Lucy Dolman.

Amira is one of two giraffes to have died at the Tulsa Zoo in the past  two months.

Amali, the other giraffe, died after being sedated during X-rays to determine the extent of a neck injury it sustained sometime between leaving a zoo in Ohio and arriving in Tulsa.

01/08/2010 Related Story: New Docs, Emails, Pics Shed Light On Tulsa Zoo Giraffe's Death