Ozzie the Giraffe (2014-2024)
Obituary
Ozzie died at the Lion Habitat Ranch in Nevada in August 2024 after a fall.
Ozzie, a ten-year-old giraffe, died at the Lion Habitat Ranch in Nevada in August 2024 after becoming startled and falling. Ozzie was born in captivity at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas and sent to the Lion Habitat Ranch at 8 months old. The Lion Habitat Ranch used Ozzie to paint canvases and clothing to entertain guests.
Tragically, Ozzie lived alone, with no giraffes as companions. Captivity destroys giraffes’ complex social groups because captive giraffes are bred and sold between venues throughout their lives, tearing apart mothers and babies. Giraffes live in wide-open grasslands or woodlands in Africa. At the Lion Habitat Ranch and other zoos across the US, they’re held in barns and enclosures a fraction of the size they’d enjoy in their natural habitat.
In addition to Ozzie, the Lion Habitat Ranch keeps 17 lions in small enclosures. In January 2024, the Nevada Attorney General’s office reached a settlement with Lion Habitat Ranch owner Keith Evans, requiring him to stop sending deceptive fundraising solicitations. Evans sent solicitations claiming he may have to euthanize the lions at the facility for lack of funding.
World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves giraffes to avoid zoos and drive-thru safaris and instead enjoy them in the wild or at an accredited sanctuary.
