“💔 Texas Icon Takes Final Bow: 31-Year-Old Giraffe Twiga Signs Off🦒”
TL;DR; It’s a somber day in the Lone Star State, folks! Twiga, the legendary 31-year-old Maasai giraffe, and an absolute icon at the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas, has bid us her final adieu. Not only was she practically part of the furniture, but she was also believed to be the oldest giraffe under human care. It’s a long neck and a short tale this time, guys. 🦒
She strutted into this world on October 1, 1991, at the Los Angeles Zoo, living a long, illustrious life that spanned over three decades, 9 months, and 7 days – that’s 11,640 days of giving us pure, unfiltered giraffe-ness! So, here’s a question: if we could ask Twiga what her secret to longevity was, what do you think she’d say? 🎂🗓️
The Ellen Trout Zoo crew feels her absence deeply. Twiga was the welcoming committee, the seasoned pro that helped other new hoofed recruits, Kellen and Luna, feel right at home in their Texan surroundings. If giraffes could talk, wouldn’t you love to know what tales she spun to her fellow long-necks? 🦒💭
Now, the Guinness Book of Records doesn’t officially track giraffe longevity, which seems a bit of a missed opportunity, don’t you think? Especially when there’s a giraffe out there in a South Korean safari park with a whopping 18 offspring to their name! Imagine the childcare headaches! But could Twiga have potentially strutted her way into the records if they did? 🌍🏆
On the global stage, Twiga may have had some stiff competition. There was a giraffe in Japan that almost made it to the grand old age of 32 back in 2021. Meanwhile, a Rothschild’s giraffe named Ursula became a nonagenarian in giraffe years, dying at the age of 32 at the Oklahoma City Zoo back in 2017. Would there have been a friendly rivalry between these elderly giraffe dames? 🇯🇵🇺🇸
As we remember Twiga, let’s take a moment to ponder on the vital role these incredible creatures play in our lives and ecosystems. It’s not just about the ‘aww’ factor, folks, but the profound sense of connection we have with these majestic beings. In losing Twiga, do we also lose a piece of that bond? 🌍💚
On a final note, let’s stir up a hypothetical pot of controversy: If a giraffe longevity record did exist in the Guinness Book of Records, do you think Twiga could’ve high-stepped her way to the top? And if so, shouldn’t we petition to include such a category? It’s your move, readers. What say you? 🤔💡
