Mdomo, 12, was euthanised on Friday after her condition deteriorated following a procedure that had involved a general anaesthetic. Photo: Supplied / Orana Wildlife Park
A giraffe and a zebra foal have died at Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch.
The deaths of 12-year-old Mdomo the giraffe and the five-month-old zebra foal Zeeyore had left staff at the park devastated, a media release on Tuesday said.
Mdomo died on Friday afternoon following a general anaesthetic the previous week.
Mdomo had developed a lump on her right cheek which was "suspected to be a feed impaction resulting from an underlying dental issue", with the staff at the park observing a gradual decline in her behaviour.
Staff at the park spent several weeks working with a vet clinic due to the risks of anaesthesia, particularly for a large mammal, the statement said.
The procedure, which involved a team of four vets and 20 Orana staff members, initially went to plan, although they could not identify the cause of the impaction issue, it said.
Mdomo initially recovered well from the procedure, but two days later her condition started to deteriorate.
"Sadly, her condition worsened on Friday morning and following further vet inspection, the team made the kindest decision to euthanise Mdomo," the statement said.
A post-mortem showed Mdomo had had "a significant reduction in gut movement which can be a complication following sedation".
Mdomo had been at Orana Park since she arrived from Auckland Zoo in 2016.
"The Orana team, and especially those who worked closely with her, were deeply connected to Mdomo, and are reeling from the loss of this beautiful animal," the statement said.
Zeeyore died after 'failing to thrive since birth'
Zebra foal Zeeyore died earlier this month. Photo: Supplied / Orana Wildlife Park
Five-month-old zebra foal Zeeyore died earlier this month after being weaned early by his first time mother and failing to thrive since birth.
"Zeeyore was under constant veterinary monitoring since birth and our dedicated animal care team worked tirelessly with Zeeyore to supplement his feed, but he sadly never progressed," the statement said.
A post mortem revealed that his early weaning may have been the cause of his death.
Zeeyore and Herbie were the first zebra foals to be born at Orana in 30 years.
The foal had left a lasting impression on staff and would be dearly missed, the statement said.
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