Roger Williams Park Zoo mourns death of giraffe Jaffa

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Officials with the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence announced the passing of one of their giraffes.

The zoo said Jaffa Prince, a 13-year-old Masai giraffe, was euthanized after suffering a fall that rendered him unable to stand.

Back in June, Jaffa underwent a procedure to help with his chronic hoof infections. Officials said he was recovering well from the initial trimming procedure but experienced setbacks resulting in him needing more medical attention.

72 hours after the procedure, Jaffa suffered a fall that left him unable to walk or move, which is when veterinarians made the decisions to euthanize him humanely.

Jaffa was born at the zoo back in July of 2009, to his mom Sukari and his dad Griffin, and spent his entire life at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

According to the zoo, giraffe populations have declined drastically over the past 30 years, with roughly 35,000 Masai giraffes left in the wild.

The zoo is further asking anyone with photos of Jaffa to share them in his memory on their social media.