Her life wasn’t long, but she has touched countless lives in a journey that was all too short.
Penny the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo giraffe died Monday. She was just shy of her two-month birthday, and euthanized after veterinarians determined her medical issues would permanently ruin her quality of life.
“We will all miss Penny,” Bob Chastain, the president and CEO of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, said in a news release. “Although our sadness at this time is palpable, we are taking solace in the fact that we truly believe we made the best decisions for her during her short life we could.
“It is always easy, especially in times of grief, to second-guess every decision you made.”
The world fell in love with Penny as the zoo live-streamed her birth and her bonding with her mother. She was named after the Beatles song “Penny Lane,” since she perked up her ears the first time she heard it.
However, tragedy struck on day nine of her life when she fell into what’s known as the splay position.
This is a term that describes when an animal’s legs go out from under them in an unnatural way. This can be life-threatening, but Penny’s team worked around the clock to provide care for her and every effort was made to help her heal.
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She was taken to the veterinary teaching hospital at Colorado State University for surgery on Sunday, where a team found out her injuries were more serious than previous thought. The zoo said she had abscesses on her abdomen as well as infections in the bones of at least three of her legs.
Though her life was brief, Penny’s legacy will live on. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said in a news release that donations to Penny’s medical expenses fund will go toward giraffe conservation. You can find that link here: www.cmzoo.org/helppenny
And out of respect for the keepers, the giraffe building at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Guests can leave cards at a box outside the building.
The zoo is currently working to build a memorial for Penny.
“We will certainly use Penny’s case to help further giraffe medicine in the future, and ensure the things we learned from her will live on to help others,” Chastain said.
