Amali, Tulsa Zoo Giraffe Injures Neck

Amali, Tulsa Zoo Giraffe Injures Neck

This is Amali, a 5 year old female giraffe who was purchased by the Tulsa zoo for breeding purposes.

Amali was purchased from a zoo in Ohio and was transported to Tulsa. The transport driver is saying that nothing unusual happened during the trip. But something happened. When she left Ohio, she was fine. When she arrived in Tulsa, her neck was not fine.

The good news is that the veterinarians at the Tulsa zoo have examined Amali and are saying that she does not appear to be in pain. Amali is eating normally and isn't indicating that she is in any pain.

Various news stories are saying that crooked necks in giraffes are not unheard of, but that they aren't common either. Apparently, a giraffe with a crooked neck in the Santa Barbara zoo lived to be 21 years old.

Amali is not on display yet as Tulsa zoo officials are working to take xrays and to make sure that she is okay. If it turns out that she is well, she will go on display later this year.

Fun facts about Giraffes (for the kids)

Giraffes are the tallest land animals.

A typical giraffe neck is 6 feet long and can weigh up to 600 pounds!

Giraffe's legs are usually 6 feet tall. The back legs are the same height as the front legs, even though it doesn't look like it.

Are you ready for this? A giraffe's heart is reportedly 2 feet long and weighs in at a whopping 25 pounds!

A giraffes lungs can hold 25 gallons of air!

Click here to see a local news story and video of Amali.

If you're planning a summer trip in the midwest, you might want to consider stopping by Tulsa if and when Amali is on display.