Skeeter the giraffe, who called St. Paul’s Como Park Zoo home for 16 years, was euthanized Thursday following months of declining health.

“It’s hard to put into words what Skeeter has meant to our community. Skeeter was everyone’s giraffe,” senior zookeeper Jill Erzar said in a news release. “He was our tallest animal, our largest by weight, and I would argue our most charismatic. He inspired countless children with his soulful eyes and the excited way he took snacks.”

Skeeter — full name Sgt. “Skeeter” Spaulding — came to Como Park Zoo from the Jacksonville Zoo in 2010, when he was 1 year old.

He fathered eight calves and became a popular animal with visitors and zookeepers. Zoo officials said he was “an unforgettable combination of engaging, stubborn, gentle, and mischievous.”

He was the first giraffe at the zoo to take part in voluntary hoof care, allowing keepers to monitor his feet. In 2021, Skeeter underwent surgery for a fractured foot.

From 2014 Face to face with a camera-chomping giraffe at Como Park Zoo

In recent months, the zoo said, arthritis limited his mobility and made it difficult for him to rest comfortably.

“Despite adjustments to his pain medication and ongoing care, assessments of his quality of life led the teams to determine that euthanasia was the most compassionate decision to prevent further suffering,” the zoo reported. Skeeter was given favorite snacks and extra attention in his final days.

“I’m grateful to have cared for Skeeter for the past decade,” Erzar said in the news release. “He taught me so much about giraffes, and I feel honored that he trusted us with his care. I’ll miss my big guy more than I can say. His gentleness with children and the connections he helped people make will stay with us, along with the inspiration to do more for his species.”

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.