A Giraffe Died After Hitting Its Head On Highway Bridge
The poor giraffe is now down under.
By Darian Goh — 01 Aug 2014, 03:09 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
A giraffe in South Africa has died after a truck carrying it passed through an overhead bridge
A giraffe on board a truck has died after hitting its head on an overhead bridge
Image via mshcdn.comA giraffe being transported in an open-air truck bed on a highway in South Africa died Thursday after reportedly hitting its head on an overpass.
mashable.com
A giraffe has died after smashing its head into a low bridge while it was being transported along a busy highway in South Africa.
dailymail.co.ukMultiple witnesses heard a loud noise when the incident happened and shared the incident on social media
Multiple eyewitnesses reported seeing two giraffes traveling on Pretoria’s N1 highway, with many posting Tweets and Instagram photos after one hit its head on the bridge.
mashable.com
One witness, Instagram user pabimoloi, writes in a post, "Saw two giraffes being transported to Pretoria on the highway today. Not sure what the regulations are but as they were going under a normal highway bridge, I saw one of the giraffes hit its head. It was so terrible to see. Hope they got wherever they were going okay."
mashable.com
"The sound was so loud that my cousin, who was driving, asked me if there was someone shooting because she thought she'd heard a gunshot! That is how loud the impact was from the animal's head smashing into the overhead bridge."
mashable.com
Engineer Thinus Botha, 32, took the photo of the two giraffes after driving next to the truck for half a mile on the N1 on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa's capital. He decided to pull over to capture the moment - and witnessed the gruesome accident seconds later. 'I pulled over just before the bridge and a few seconds after I took the photo the first giraffe hit its head on the bridge,' he told MailOnline.
dailymail.co.ukThe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (NSPCA) is currently investigating the incident and may lay criminal charges against those responsible if found guilty
South Africa's animal rights body is probing the death of a giraffe that was reportedly injured as it was being transported on a motorway.
The SPCA’s Rick Allan said, “All we can ascertain at this stage is severe head trauma. We are continuing our investigation with the view to possibly lay criminal charges against those responsible.”
ewn.co.za
Both animals were then taken to a vet, but the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (NSPCA) said one died on arrival.
But South Africa's Society for the Prevention of cruelty to Animals said the real-life incident was deadly serious and the driver could be prosecuted.
dailymail.co.ukSocial media users are quick to point out that the incident is somewhat familiar to a scene in "Hangover 3"
According to Mashable, giraffes are supposed to be transported using specially built trailers which covers their heads
Zoos, in the past, have used specially-built trailers to transport giraffes around the world.
mashable.com
Bob Lawrence, director of wildlife at West Midlands Safari Park in Worcestershire, England, told the BBC in January that his giraffes arrived on a double decker bus. In Devon, England, the Paignton Zoo’s 14-foot giraffe made its move in a trailer with an adjustable roof.
mashable.com
“When you are transporting giraffes on an open road, their heads should be covered by a structure which is a specially designed container that looks like a crate,” he said.
mashable.com