Investigation details animal deaths at Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park, two giraffes found dead in two months

Warning: This story contains distressing content

Two giraffes in captivity at a Christchurch zoo died within two months of each other, leaving staff traumatised, a new investigation has revealed.

More than 20 current and former staff members from Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park have detailed several animal deaths to 1News, some of which had not previously been reported.

In one incident in 2021, giraffe Mabuti dislocated a bone in its neck overnight. 1News reported Mabuti was unable to stand and suffered catastrophic internal damage before being found dead in his enclosure at 8.20am the next day.

Maintenance worker Jordan Dejager said the death was “horrendous” and left keepers traumatised, but Orana Wildlife Park needed to get the giraffe’s body out.

“It all had to happen before 10am, because the park was opening and that was priority.”

Dejager told 1News he and a colleague had to improvise, using strops to attach Mabuti’s body to a digger and dragging him out of the enclosure, his tongue hanging from his mouth.

“It was absolutely appalling,” he said.

Giraffes at Orana Wildlife Park in May 2020. Photo / Orana Wildlife Park

“[It was], get it out the back and just dig a hole and throw it in... There wasn’t any specific spot.”

Another former keeper said it was suspected Mabuti had tried to reach a tree branch and consequently wove his head and neck in-and-out of a set of bars in his enclosure.

“It looked like he had struggled and panicked,” they said.

“All of the soil or substrate in his part of the den was all disturbed where he’d obviously been trying to free himself.”

Following the death of the giraffe, Orana Wildlife Park said he had died from an “unsurvivable condition” in a comment on Facebook.

In a statement to 1News, Orana Wildlife Park’s managers said the post-mortem examination showed the death would’ve been quick.

The said removing Mabuti’s body without delay was important in order to avoid fluids and excretions posing a risk to other animals.

They added it was inappropriate for visitors to see animals in the state the giraffe was in if it could be avoided and their Facebook post gave the public enough information.

”The press doesn’t publish the exact details of the state of human victims of car accidents, and nor should they. Animals shouldn’t be treated with any less respect,” the statement read.

But former employees said they felt Mabuti’s death was brushed under the carpet to avoid the public finding out.

Mabuti the giraffe at Orana Widlife Park. Photo / Orana Widlife Park

Just two months earlier, a newborn giraffe was found dead by zoo employees in a neighbouring rhino enclosure.

Four people told 1News nobody at the Orana Wildlife Park was aware the calf had been born until it was found dead that morning. It had reportedly arrived unexpectedly, its mother going into labour after keepers had left for the day.

A post-mortem showed the mother had rejected her calf as there was no milk in her stomach.

The female calf had reportedly gone wandering after hours with no keepers around. Inquiries into the circumstances around the calf’s death were inconclusive, but it was a cold and rainy night.

Animals at Orana Wildlife Park were left injured and traumatised last year when boy racers tore through a nearby road doing burnouts and skids. Photo / George Heard

A former keeper said the body was “absolutely freezing”.

In a statement, the zoo’s management appeared to blame the death on its own keepers.

“[They] did not notice that the giraffe female was so close to parturition, which would have been clearly evident.”

They said it was an “extremely rare case of human error” and that keepers had not called their manager for advice.

The zoo added that a door inside the giraffe house was open that night, allowing the calf access to an outdoor area which was only appropriate for adult giraffes.

“The entire team were devastated by this tragic incident that could have been prevented through shutting the door.”

Dejager told 1News finding the body was traumatising, and the zoo offered no emotional support afterwards.

The public was never told of the calf’s birth or death. It was never named.

Former keepers said they quit the zoo due to concerns, with many having now left the industry altogether.