Toronto Zoo's youngest giraffe, Matu, dies during surgery

The youngest giraffe at the Toronto Zoo has died.

Matumaini (Matu), which means hope in Swahili, was born at the zoo on Feb. 25, 2022.

An endangered Masai giraffe has been born at the Toronto Zoo. (Twitter/@TheTorontoZoo)

He died on Thursday morning while under general anesthesia for a castration procedure.

“This is a very difficult announcement to make as our team is devastated and hurting,” the Toronto Zoo said.

“Our team did an incredible job carefully planning for this procedure for months.”

Matumaini (Matu), an endangered Masai giraffe born at the Toronto Zoo on Feb. 25, 2022, died on July 25. (The Toronto Zoo photo)

The Toronto Zoo went on to say that staff know that any procedure under general anesthesia comes with risks, especially when it comes to large vertebrates, adding that animal welfare is a priority at the zoo.

“As we continue to learn about the importance of the individual animal’s experiences, physical health, behavioural health, and overall environment, we want to ensure that animals residing in our care are given every opportunity to thrive,” the zoo said.

“In Matu’s case, it was decided the best thing for his wellbeing was to remain in his family group, alongside his mother and sister rather than being isolated, which led to the decision to perform this procedure.”

The zoo added that its reproductive science team had collected and banked living genetic material, which will be stored in its biobank, from the giraffe.

“While Matu is no longer with us, his contribution to the survival of his species can live on for future generations of Masai giraffes in managed populations,” the zoo said.

Matumaini (Matu), an endangered Masai giraffe born at the Toronto Zoo on Feb. 25, 2022, died on July 25. (The Toronto Zoo photo)

In late 2018, the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) elevated the conservation status of Masai giraffes to endangered.

According to the international organization, less than 35,000 Masai giraffes survive in the wild. The species has seen a decline of more than 50 per cent in the last 30 years, it said.

The IUCN said that their primary threats are illegal hunting and habitat loss.

The Toronto Zoo said that its entire team is in mourning and that this news will be difficult to process for the broader zoo community.

“If you are visiting the Zoo in the coming days, we respectfully ask you to give our team space as we process this loss and grieve his passing,” the zoo said, adding that due to the nature of what occurred, it will be providing staff with access to grief counselling services.

A necropsy will be done to determine Matu’s cause of death. The Toronto Zoo said that it would share details about the results when they are available.

Matumaini (Matu), an endangered Masai giraffe born at the Toronto Zoo on Feb. 25, 2022, died on July 25. (The Toronto Zoo photo)