‘Once in a lifetime animal’: Giraffe dies at North Carolina Zoo

ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The North Carolina Zoo announced on Thursday that Leia the giraffe died this week.

On Tuesday morning, Leia underwent a planned medical procedure for a hoof injury.

She was expected to make a full recovery but experienced a complication known as acute aspiration after the procedure.

Aspiration can sometimes happen with the use of anesthesia in both people and animals. It is widely considered the number one complication with giraffe surgical procedures.

An animal autopsy was performed, and results confirmed aspiration as the official cause of Leia’s death.

She was 15 years old and had been a beloved part of the zoo family since 2010.

“Over the years, we developed an extremely strong relationship to where, for a while, she wouldn’t trust any stranger unless I was there to give the OK,” a zookeeper named Kelly said. “Her personality blossomed over the years, showing her true intelligence and awareness. Our training sessions could be incredibly productive … She was a strong independent lady who had opinions and didn’t like to be touched very often. Leia was always the first to test out new puzzle feeders and lick all over the GoPro cameras when we would put them up in the barn. Leia was a true “once in a lifetime animal.”