COLORADO SPRINGS – Zookeepers at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said the zoo’s 201st giraffe is not on the way after all.
The zoo announced in a Facebook live video that Laikipia the giraffe’s blood, fecal and ultrasound tests provided false signs that the animal was pregnant. Zookeepers said Laikipia is now well outside of the typical gestation window and could not possibly be pregnant.
Due to the false tests, the zoo is shutting down its birth cam. The zoo’s last baby giraffe, Penny, died in late July.
Penny died weeks after her legs splayed out from under her. The giraffe was put down after veterinarians found infections in her legs and determined that the giraffe’s quality of life would be permanently affected by her injuries.
The zoo will be taking down the temporary birth cam on the zoo’s website. With Tuesday’s announcement, there are now no pregnant giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
