KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Zoo Knoxville announced on Thursday that Jumbe, a 19-year-old geriatric male giraffe, was placed under hospice care as he faces increasing difficulty with mobility in his advanced age.
At 19 years old, Jumbe is one of the oldest giraffes in the U.S., according to a release from the zoo. Last year, he began exhibiting signs of pain with movement.
His caretakers and the veterinary team from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine have been successfully managing his pain with medication but have now reached the maximum dosages that can be safely administered, according to the zoo. There are no further treatment options.
The zoo said it decided to transition to hospice care when Jumbe began having difficulty lying down to rest at night. Right now, his care team is making him as comfortable as possible and closely monitoring his quality of life.
When it becomes apparent that Jumbe’s medications are no longer managing his pain, the zoo said it will decide to humanely euthanize him to avoid prolonged suffering.
“We have a responsibility to our animals to make sure we provide them with the optimal quality of life from birth to death,” said Phil Colclough, director of animal care, conservation and education. “With that responsibility comes days when we have to make difficult but compassionate decisions such as this. We will carefully weigh all considerations to make the right decision at the right time, but ultimately our focus is to let Jumbe leave this world with dignity and surrounded by those who cared most for him.”
Jumbe came to Zoo Knoxville in 2011 on the recommendation of the Giraffe Species Survival Plan, a collaborative effort of zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to ensure a genetically healthy and protected population of giraffes remain in human care as wild populations are declining and endangered, according to the zoo. He sired two offspring with Frances, “Bea”, a female born in 2019, and “J.J.," a male born in 2020 and who still resides at Zoo Knoxville.