MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Zoo's giraffe population has decreased by one after Bahatika (Baha) the giraffe died unexpectedly.
The zoo shared the news on its social media Wednesday, saying Baha had previously been monitored for age-related health issues. He was 17 years old when he died, and according to the zoo, the median life expectancy for a giraffe living in a zoo is 14 years old.
Baha was born in 2005 at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs and arrived at the Milwaukee County Zoo in 2006. A blog post from the zoo said Baha, "grew up at MCZ, and Zoo staff and guests watched him go from a gangly half-grown calf to a handsome bull over the past 17 years."
An important update on the giraffe herd:
— Milwaukee County Zoo (@MilwaukeeCoZoo) March 22, 2023
This morning, reticulated giraffe Bahatika (Baha), died unexpectedly. He was being closely monitored for age-related health issues.
⚠️The Giraffe Building will be closed today (3/22) to allow the team to grieve.
1/4 pic.twitter.com/lTgIhE9xsC
He had been the zoo's breeding bull for the past decade, fathering four male calves with giraffe Ziggy, and three female calves with giraffe Marlee.
Baha was the largest giraffe in the herd and had a distinctive bumpy face. The zoo said he was very friendly with people, allowing many zoo guests to feed him. He was even known to sometimes push other giraffes out of the way so he could get more treats and attention from the public.
In the blog post, the zoo said, "Zookeepers who worked directly with Baha over the years comment that they will miss his friendly face and presence in the Giraffe Barn."
Baha was not the only giraffe at the zoo with age-related health issues. In the same blog post, the zoo said female giraffe Rahna has been experiencing her own health issues.
Animal care staff are monitoring her for quality of life concerns. She is 30-years-old, which is considered geriatric. She too was born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and is the half-sister of Baha.
According to the zoo, the median life expectancy of a female giraffe living in the zoo is 20 years old.
In response to Baha's death, the zoo said the Giraffe Building will be closed on March 22 to give zookeepers time to grieve Baha and give their necessary attention to the other giraffes in the herd.
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