Fan favorite and oldest male giraffe at Brevard Zoo dies at 22 | FOX 35 Orlando
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Fan favorite and oldest male giraffe at Brevard Zoo dies at 22

By Jovanni Saint Surin
Published  March 24, 2025 4:43pm EDT
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Brevard Zoo's oldest male giraffe, Doc, died after facing ongoing mobility and health issues.
    • Doc was one of the original five giraffes to be on habitat when Expedition Africa opened back in 2003.
    • Pain medication and welfare assessments prolonged Doc's life, but ultimately Brevard Zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize him.

BREVARD, Fla. - The Brevard Zoo announced the unfortunate passing of its oldest male giraffe on Facebook Monday afternoon. 

The 22-year-old Brevard Zoo resident named Doc had multiple medical issues, some of which stemmed from his old age. 

Remembering Doc 

The backstory:

Doc was born on May 26, 2003, at Zoo Knoxville, and had been a part of the giraffe platform for decades. 

He was one of the original five giraffes to be placed in the habitat when Expedition Africa opened in 2003. 

Brevard Zoo says the animal care team, volunteers and guests always viewed Doc as a fan favorite due to his gentle nature and eagerness to participate in voluntary training sessions.

Photos shared via Brevard Zoo/Facebook/Keeper Morgan. 

What led to his death? 

Brevard Zoo says Doc has been monitored in recent years for recurring mobility issues and medical staff planned to tackle these issues by developing a treatment plan. Initially, the goal was to administer pain medication and perform maintenance of his feet through hoof trims to keep him comfortable. 

The zoo said these treatments were no longer working, and they even tried thermography and custom-made polyurethane shoes on his hooves to offer him more support. 

In addition to his lack of mobility, Doc started to show signs of medical issues including: 

  • Losing muscle mass
  • No longer laying down in his stall
  • Sometimes seeming behaviorally off
  • Nosebleeds

What they're saying:

After years of attempting to treat Doc's issues, the Brevard County Zoo released the following statement on Facebook: 

Brevard zoo says in this difficult time, its members find comfort in knowing that his time with them was filled with love and the best quality of life as they saw him through more golden years than the median lifespan of his species would have predicted. 

Senior Africa keeper, Cindy Watson, says her favorite memories of Doc include his relationship with female giraffe Kumi. 

"I love how those two would hang out and how Doc was always there for Kumi," Cindy said. "Kumi seemed to really enjoy Doc’s company and seemed more confident when Doc was around her."

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Doc was one of the first animals Africa keeper, Morgan Thums, trained. 

"You could always count on him to be at the platform eating lettuce from guests and when he wasn't there, he was usually spending time with his ‘girlfriend’ Kumi," Morgan said. "Doc is one of the sweetest giraffes I have ever cared for, and I am going to miss him greatly."

How long do giraffes live?

According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the median lifespan of giraffes is 16.5 years for males, meaning that Doc had well surpassed his life expectancy.

For more on Doc's remembrance, click here.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard Zoo. 

Brevard CountyPets and AnimalsWild Nature