That crazy circle of life is at it again.

[ToOn~g@l]

Well guys as some of you know I work at a zoo and some of the most interesting things can happen there. Sometimes you welcome them with open arms, other times you dread it and wish it wouldn't happen. Both of these things happened on Wendsday at the Cheyenne Mountain zoo where I work.

First I will explain the bad news. Lakipia our old bull giraffe was suffering from terrible degenerative joint disease for many years now. I would watch him during my breaks and see him slowly move around the yard. His hooves were huge because of it, it looked like he wore snowshoes. Lately the staff noticed that he was becoming more sluggish and the pain medication they were giving him just wasn't working. They put him on quality of life alert until they decided to humanely euthanize him Wendsday evening. :(

It was a sad day for everyone, I actually had to work around the giraffes that day, we sell crackers for kids to feed and stuff. and everyone was asking me where he was, I couldn't tell any one until the press release which was earlier today. One person even asked me if he still existed because she hadn't been to the zoo in a while. I told her that he was inside because he wasn't feeling well and after she left I almost wanted to cry. :crying:

Lakipia sired 35 calves, 36 is on the way in a few months. Which comes to my good news. Uhura one of our female giraffes gave birth that same day. Its a girl and no news on the name yet but she wieghs 179 pounds and is 6'2" She is the cutest little thing. I was able to get some pictures too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/toongal/UhuraandBaby.jpg

I believe that's her half sister Muziki in the foreground
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/toongal/UhuraandBaby2.jpg

And a friend of mine from work was able to go up close and get a pic for me. I love this pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/toongal/sleeptime.jpg

So yeah that was the crazy wendsday we had. Both Joy and sadness.

[JAG]

I'm sorry about Lakipia.

Congrats on the baby, though!

[Dr.Pepper]

That's a cute baby

[Ishtar]

It's sad to see any animal pass on, especially if you have been assosciated with it for a while, like you have, ToOn~g@l, since you worked at the zoo with Lakipia. However, from the way it all sounds, it's almost like that the newborn baby giraffe was destined to take it's place once it had passed.

[Ren]

Up until this pas December I lived in Colorado Springs and often went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I'm so sorry to hear about Lakapia, watching the giraffes was always my favorite part of the zoo. It's great to hear about the new calf, too. Isn't it funny to refer to something that is 6'2" as a "cute, little thing"? I miss that zoo.