Charlie the Giraffe (2004-2024)
Obituary
Charlie, a 20-year-old giraffe, died in June 2024 at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina.
The zoo did not reveal a cause of death but stated Charlie had “ongoing health concerns.” He had been held at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden since 2005.
The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden used Charlie in feeding encounters where visitors feed giraffes at platforms. While giraffes used in these encounters are generally free to walk up to people or stay away, giraffes have to spend much of their day eating to survive. Giraffes eat about 75 pounds of plants every day. When giraffes take food from humans, it’s because they’re hungry, not because they want to interact with people. Just like bears and tigers, giraffes are wild animals.
World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves giraffes to avoid zoos and enjoy them in the wild or at an accredited sanctuary.
