Patches, America's oldest giraffe, under palliative care at zoo as health declines
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The oldest giraffe in the United States, Zoo Knoxville's 31-year-old Patches, is under palliative care at the park as the zoo prepares to say goodbye.
The geriatric giraffe's health has declined in the past year. She's been treated for incurable arthritis related to her advanced age.
A reticulated giraffe's average life expectancy is 25. A fixture at the zoo for three decades, Patches is older than some of her keepers and has been at the park longer than many of its employees.
The zoo attributes Patches' longevity to the quality of care from her keepers and University of Tennessee College of Veterinarians. But the 16-foot female may also have inherited some good genes from her mother, Miss T. Miss T died at the zoo in 2011 at age 27.
A long life
Some days are better than others for Patches. She's still eating but it's apparent she's ailing. The zoo staff and the UT veterinarians created a plan of care and medications for her. Her caretakers are monitoring her behavior to make her as comfortable as possible while measuring her quality of life.
Keepers use cameras in the Grassland Africa giraffe barn to check on Patches. They also chart her symptoms. But as with any geriatric animal that has an incurable disease, Patches won't get well. Eventually the humans who care for her will make the decision to humanly euthanize the giraffe to avoid long-term suffering.
"When she is to the point of only having bad days – that is when we will make that call," said Phil Colclough, the zoo's animal collections and conservation director. "We don't want to prolong her death. We want to give her the quality of life she deserves."
A gradual decline
Patches' caretakers noticed last year she was lifting her feet and walking with pronounced stiffness. "Her gait was slightly different," Colclough said.
Footage from a barn camera showed keepers Patches would stand and lean against walls to rest. Giraffes generally will spend some time during the night resting on the floor.
X-rays confirmed Patches has arthritis; medication was begun to help her. The inflammation, Colclough said, "is uniform across her body. It's not a problem with a single joint."
Zoo officials say Patches will leave a legacy. For generations, she'd been a long-necked ambassador. People who'll never see a wild African giraffe experienced the species by seeing Patches.
She also contributed to the continuation of the endangered species. Patches gave birth to eight calves. Each was fathered by the park's longtime male, Magic.
Patches' last calf, Lucille, was born in 2002. Patches, Lucille, the young female Frances and the male Jumbe make up the current giraffe herd. They live in the park's Grasslands Africa natural habitat.
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