13-year-old Toronto Zoo giraffe dies following accident in habitat

The Toronto Zoo announced on social media the tragic loss of Kiko, a 13-year-old Masai giraffe, who unfortunately died after being caught in an opening door.

The Toronto Zoo says one of its giraffes has died following an accident in its habitat.

“2026 has begun in the most heartbreaking way with the sudden and tragic loss of Kiko, a beloved 13-year-old male Masai giraffe,” the zoo wrote in a post on social media.

The organization said the accident happened in the afternoon on Jan. 1. They said Kiko had been given access to an “additional area of his behind-the-scenes habitat.”

“True to his curious nature, he began exploring the space and tragically became caught in an opening door,” they said.

The zoo explained that Masai giraffes have delicate heads and a six-foot neck “capable of moving forward, backward, up, down, and side to side” which allows for their head position to shift quickly.

“Despite the team’s immediate response, Kiko panicked and sustained injuries that, due to the unique anatomy of his species, proved fatal,” the post said.

The zoo said Kiko has been sent to the University of Guelph for a full postmortem, and a thorough investigation has been initiated by their Health and Safety Services team.

“While this appears to be a very tragic and unfortunate incident, as an accredited zoo, we will share the findings once the full investigation has concluded.”

The Toronto Zoo said it will share any findings with the animal community as well, and that they are “committed” to learning from his death.

Kiko came to the Toronto Zoo from South Carolina’s Greenville Zoo and was part of a breeding program. He was paired with female giraffe Mstari, who the zoo says is currently in the later stages of a pregnancy, due early this year.