13 September 2012
Wellington Zoo saddened by passing of Seun the Giraffe
Wellington Zoo staff and volunteers were saddened today by the passing of the Zoo’s male Giraffe Seun.
Seun was 6 years old and came to Wellington Zoo from Orana Wildlife Park in April 2008.
Seun had been treated by the veterinary team at The Nest Te Kō hanga for laminitis, a painful condition in his hoof for
the past 5 weeks. Over the past week his condition had worsened and this morning he was anaesthetised for x-rays to
determine the best course of action.
During today’s procedure, x-rays showed that Seun had a severely infected toe on his right hoof. After consulting with
experts from Massey University the Wellington Zoo veterinary team decided to remove the infected toe. This procedure has
been done before in domestic cattle but had never been attempted on a giraffe.
Though the toe was successfully removed, unfortunately Seun did not recover from the anaesthetic and passed away today
just after 5pm.
“We have lost a special animal. Seun was well loved by Zoo staff, volunteers, and visitors alike and his passing gives
us great sadness.” said Wellington Zoo Chief Executive, Karen Fifield.
“Giraffes are notoriously difficult to anaesthetise and although we gave him the best chance we could, Seun did not
survive the procedure, which was more than five hours long.”
“The Wellington Zoo team showed amazing professionalism, resilience, team work and ultimate care for Seun’s welfare
through the whole episode. I am extremely proud of them.”
“We are grateful for the expert assistance that Dr Vicki Walsh, a specialist veterinary anaesthetist and her team from
Massey University provided today during the procedure. We are also thankful for advice and assistance provided today by
Massey University’s Dr Angela Hartman, Dr Jim Schumache, Dr Richard Laven, Dr Stu Hunter, and their respective teams.”
Wellington Zoo is a charitable trust principally funded by the Wellington City Council.
ENDS