Lightning kills two giraffes at safari park

Officials say the animals' deaths were initially a mystery when their bodies were discovered in a pasture last month

Two giraffes at the Lion Country Safari in Florida were killed by a lightning strike last month, park officials have confirmed.

The deaths of the animals, Lili and Jioni, had been a mystery ever since their bodies were discovered in a pasture located within their habitat in early May.

In a statement released this week, officials said pathology results confirmed the giraffes passed “as a result of the lightning”, noting their deaths were “instantaneous”.

“Out of respect for their mourning and the pending pathology results, we waited to share this information,” the park wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “We continue to mourn our two incredibly lovely and charismatic giraffes; they will both be sorely missed.”

“Lily and Jioni were in the pasture in their habitat when a severe thunderstorm quickly developed 6 weeks ago,” the post read. “The keepers and our whole team were understandably devastated by this sudden and tragic loss.”

According to the park, the giraffes were kept on a multi-acre habitat with “numerous shelters”, although they are not forced to use them.

Officials also told CBS12 that the animals generally prefer to be out in the open space rather than kept inside, though sheltered areas are opened up during storms and other weather events.

Neither of the giraffes reportedly suffered any trauma, a spokesperson for the park said.

The park’s Facebook post announcing the cause of death quickly went viral, receiving nearly 4,000 reactions in under 24 hours and more than 1,000 comments from users worldwide.

Many people engaging with the post mourned the loss of the two beloved giraffes while expressing support for the park’s staff members and caretakers who looked after Lili and Jioni.

Lion Country Safari has not announced any changes in its operations or schedule in the wake of the incident.