Iconic Giraffe Passes Away at 23, Leaving a Legacy of 29 Calves and 5 Grandchildren
Longleat Safari Park has sadly announced the passing of Thorn, its beloved male Rothschild giraffe. Thorn, who fathered 29 calves and had five grandchildren, was the oldest male Rothschild giraffe in Europe at the age of 23. Standing over 16 feet tall and weighing more than 1.3 tonnes, he was a towering figure both physically and within the giraffe community.
Born in Edinburgh, Thorn had been a cherished resident of Longleat since 2012, enjoying his retirement in recent years. Despite efforts to manage his health with veterinary care and pain relief, Thorn’s condition, particularly age-related arthritis, had deteriorated. The difficult decision was made to put him to sleep to prevent further suffering.
Darren Beasley, Head of Animal Operations, expressed the park’s sorrow, stating, “Thorn has been experiencing ill-health for some time and supported by veterinary care, we have been able to maintain his quality of life using pain relief. However, he has been deteriorating and was struggling, in particular with age-related arthritis in his legs, so we had to make the difficult decision to put him to sleep.”
Thorn’s legacy lives on through his descendants, many of whom have been integrated into zoological collections across Europe, contributing to Longleat’s successful captive breeding programme for Rothschild’s giraffes.
