West Midlands Safari Park has put down Strider, its oldest giraffe, after his quality of life declined recently. He died aged 23, and the park said his welfare was its highest priority.
The park said Strider was born there in 2002 in Bewdley, Worcestershire. In a tribute posted on Facebook, it remembered his “laid-back personality, dopey expressions and unmistakable slobbery smile” and said he had “a way of winning over everyone he met.”
West Midlands Safari Park tribute
Strider’s death prompted a public message from the park that described him as a familiar presence on the Safari Drive and said colleagues felt “the privilege of working alongside him.” The park said he left a lasting impression on countless guests, keepers and colleagues over the years.
That tribute matters because Strider was not only the oldest giraffe at the park. He was also an animal staff had known since birth, which gives the decision to put him down a sharper edge than a routine announcement about an older animal.
Ungulate team remembers Strider
Members of the Ungulate team said, “As a calm and reassuring presence within the herd, Strider played a special role in the lives of many calves born at the park.” They added, “He was a wonderful uncle, often offering companionship and comfort to younger giraffes as they grew, and helping to shape the close-knit herd we know today.”
The team said, “Strider's loss is deeply felt by everyone who cared for him.” For readers who visited West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley, the practical change is simple: the park is now marking the loss of an animal that had been part of the herd for 23 years.
Strider for Safari Drive
The park’s account leaves one central point in place for guests and staff alike: the decision followed a decline in welfare, not a sudden event. What the park has not laid out is the specific sign that showed his condition had worsened enough for that step, so the tribute stands as the main explanation for why it acted when it did.
