A two-year-old giraffe died on Saturday following a road traffic accident on the A-3.
The giraffe, called Jerezana, was in a traier and was being transported from Jerez de la Frontera to valencia when the vehicle was hit by a lorry. The vet accompanying the animal on its journey was injured in the incident.
The accident occurred at 00:30 at km 240 on the A-3. First aid was administered to the giraffe and following a complex operation to raise the trailer, the journey to Valencia continued and they arrived at 08:00 in the morning.
However, once at Bioparc Valencia it was discovered that the giraffe had, amongst other injuries, multiple fractures to both jaws and significant bone loss. The injuries mean’t that it was impossible for it to recover the functionality of the jaw and would not be able to eat. The decision was then taken to euthanise the animal.
Jerezana was a Baringo or Rothschild’s Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildii, one of nine recognised subspecies of giraffe and one of the most threatened. She was part of a captive breeding programme.