Giraffes at the Columbus Zoo are dropping like flies.
On December 8th, Cami a beloved female giraffe was the third to die in just 30 days, all due to birth-related problems. The other giraffe deaths included a
newborn calf who died just weeks after it had been born and one of Cami's own calves. When Cami's caretakers noticed her calf was due to come out hooves first, the staff decided to perform a C-section on her but, according to reports, the calf was born with serious congenital defects and it died shortly after delivery.
Four days after her C-section, Cami herself became ill, and on December 8th, she collapsed and died shortly after. Cami and the other two giraffes are victims of the Columbus Zoo's breeding program. Like many other zoos, the Columbus zoo breeds certain animals like giraffes not to help their dwindling populations, but to refill their stock and bring extra cash to the zoo's coffers. All of us know that baby animals are cute, and zoos often experience booms when famous or "big ticket" animals have young.
They are a surefire way to get a quick cash injection. If the zoo really has the best interest of their animals in mind, they should stop their misguided program. Breeding has already resulted in the loss of three beautiful giraffes.Tell the Columbus Zoo to do the right thing. Sign the petition and tell them to end their giraffe breeding program today.