Hero giraffe dies during surgery

2012-10-08 16:29

(Shutterstock)

Warsaw - Zoo officials in Poland say that Tofik, a male giraffe who won attention after being attacked by hoodlums last spring, has died during surgery for digestive problems.

Veterinarian Magdalena Janiszewska says that Tofik died on the operating table on Sunday. An autopsy was planned for Monday.

The loss is particularly poignant for the zoo in Lodz, 120km west of Warsaw. Two female giraffes that were with Tofik in his enclosure during the May attack died of complications because of the stress.

The giraffe earned an outpouring of sympathy in Poland after hooligans tossed garbage cans and benches near the animals - frightening the normally skittish creatures.

Zoo officials brought in three other giraffes to mate with Tofik and keep him company, hoping that it would help his recovery.

- AP