The Kyiv Zoo has denied rumors about the recent death of giraffes
Information has been circulating online about the alleged recent death of a giraffe at the Kyiv Zoo, a claim first made by Andriy Vitrenko, head of the Kyiv City Council’s Budget Committee, and subsequently picked up by local Telegram channels. However, the zoo itself has dismissed these reports as inaccurate.
This was stated by Kyrylo Trantin, the general director of the Kyiv Zoo.
He explained that two elderly giraffes passed away in the early years of the war: one in 2022 and the other in 2023.
“Our animals were 22–23 years old. In a zoo setting, giraffes typically live up to 17 years. Our animals lived significantly longer thanks to careful care,” Trantin noted.
He added that announcements regarding the giraffes’ deaths had previously been posted on the zoo’s website, and until 2022, a banner hung near the enclosure noting the animals’ advanced age and requesting that they not be disturbed.
The CEO also emphasized that there is currently no point in bringing in new giraffes due to the war and the need for new facilities to house the animals.
“To me, these animals were like children. They had been receiving special medication for the past four years, and now there are no giraffes at the zoo due to the risks to their lives,” added Kirill Trantin.
Earlier it was reported that a Far Eastern leopard cub with an unusual black coat had appeared at a zoo in the Kyiv region. This subspecies is one of the rarest in the world—there are only about a hundred individuals left in the wild. In the wild, the black coat makes hunting and survival more difficult.
