A Long Island game farm where a beloved giraffe died under mysterious circumstances was under fire this week after a scathing federal report blamed the animal’s death on malnourishment.
Long Island Game Farm in Manorville defended itself in a statement, saying the giraffe was weakened by medication-resistant parasites just before its death last year.
Bobo, a 12-foot-tall, 3-year-old giraffe, was preparing to return to a zoo in South Carolina after a summer at the Long Island Game Farm in Manorville when he collapsed and died Oct. 2, according to reports from Newsday.
The United States Department of Agriculture attributed the death to his apparent malnourishment, cold living conditions and a “heavy parasite load and poor body condition,” the outlet added.
“The poor body condition of this giraffe may be attributed to the energy deficient diet,” the report said.
“Such findings are associated with death in giraffes due to energy deficient diets and colder temperatures,” the report added, noting that high-energy feeds and warm barns give the exotic animals the best chance to survive in such climates.
Melinda Novak, president of the game farm, disputed this in a statement she released yesterday to Newsday.
“Bobo had a drug-resistant parasite that he was being treated for prior to his death,” Novak wrote. “At the time of his passing, Long Island Game Farm was initially informed that heart failure had been the cause of death.”
Vets had been closely watching the giraffe for about two months because of the parasite, the statement said.
But even though the farm reportedly followed a feeding schedule set by Bobo’s unidentified owner — which included feeding pellets, carrots and lettuce — the giraffe showed a “serious atrophy of fat,” Newsday said.
Essentially, the long-necked tree-grazer essentially wasted away.
Novak said a necropsy found Bobo had an unusually small heart, according to the paper. And that while outside temps fell into the 50s after a period of heavy rain, the farm kept the barn above 60 degrees.
“The barn was warmer to ensure Bobo’s comfort and safety,” Novak wrote. “Bobo did not freeze, nor does the USDA report indicate that he did.”
The USDA said the barn had a heater near the ceiling, but no insulation, lower-level heating or thermometer indoors, Newsday said.
The agency issued the licensed farm a warning after Bobo’s death, and said it must make upgrades before it gets another giraffe, the paper said.
A follow-up USDA inspection found no violations, the outlet added.
“The inspector did confirm that the game farm has permission to have another giraffe in the future,” Novak wrote, saying the farm had been raising money for a year-round giraffe house even prior to Bobo’s unfortunate end.
The farm’s representatives did not return a request for comment from The Post on Thursday.
