Auckland Zoo euthanises ageing giraffe matriarch Rukiya

The matriarch of Auckland Zoo's giraffe herd was euthanised on Friday due to her deteriorating age-related health.

In a social media post, Auckland Zoo paid tribute to the "much-loved" giraffe Rukiya. She was 25 years old, on the upper end of the species' lifespan.

She spent most of her life at Auckland Zoo, relocating from Wellington Zoo not long after her first birthday.

Auckland Zoo veterinary services manager Dr James Chatterton said Rukiya was a geriatric animal and her health had been closely monitored in recent years.

"While we have been able to keep Rukiya comfortable with medication and provide some short-term relief, ultimately, it's not possible to reverse age-related conditions such as osteoarthritis.

"As animal healthcare professionals we have a responsibility to make compassionate and timely evidenced-based welfare decisions that are in the best interests of the animals in our care."

Ungulates team leader Michael Hepher said Rukiya was an "exceptional animal" in many ways.

"We know that she was loved not only by zoo staff and volunteers, but by our wider community, many of whom have grown up and been able to connect with her over so many years."

Auckland Zoo said Rukiya was an "outstanding contributor" to breeding and advocacy programmes for giraffes, having mothered five offspring, four of which had reproduced at the zoo.

Rukiya was not the only beloved animal to be euthanised in Aotearoa this week, as Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park announced on Friday it had to put down Siak the otter.

Earlier in the week, Siak was undergoing a procedure because of a mass on his neck that was affecting his breathing and eating.

"Sadly, once our veterinary team were able to assess the full extent of the mass, it became clear that it was far more advanced than we had hoped," the park said in a post.

In December of last year Auckland Zoo also euthanised elderly rhino Zambezi due to age-related health conditions.