A case as sad as it is controversial that broke out in 2021 has still not been resolved and shows no signs of being resolved. It is the absurd story of some giraffes who, removed from Africa, they traveled around the world to an unknown destination but in captivity. Three years later, still silence.
It all started in November 2021 when 18 giraffes left South Africa to reach the BioParque do Rioa zoo in Brazil. Their purchase was a gigantic operation for the country, the largest wildlife trafficker in Brazil.
The giraffes were supposed to spend a quarantine period in an isolated area before being transferred to the zoo, but something unexpected happened. Three giraffes died in a desperate attempt to escape. Another later died. Apparently, the cause was attributed to the parasite Haemonchus.
Since their arrival, however, many things have happened. Amid arrests and suspicious movements, the remaining giraffes were locked up in a luxury resort, the Portobello Resort & Safariof Mangaratiba and since then their fate continues to be at the mercy of nothing.
The story has sparked great indignation since its inception. Various animal protection groups have taken action denouncing the living conditions of herbivores as well as potentially harmful practices such as the introduction of wild animals into rural and unsuitable contexts.
The Brazilian authorities have renewed their commitment to resolving the issue, but there still appears to be no solution. In 2023, Ibama, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, declared that:
There are ongoing administrative and judicial proceedings related to the case and that it is seeking a definitive solution with animal welfare in mind first and foremost.”
Exactly three years have passed since November 2021, but African giraffes continue to be confined in an inhospitable environment, with injuries and trauma. Their future is more uncertain than ever.
Faced with such a twisted scenario, animal rights activists have little faith in justice and fear that the truth is very different. Activists ask that the surviving giraffes be transferred to at least a sanctuary, where they can find peace. But when?
Sources: Ibama – liberdade_para_as_girafas/Instagram
