Saying Goodbye To The Beloved West Michigan Giraffe That Died Suddenly This Week

Many people throughout Michigan have made their way to Alto to visit the Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park.

They have a ton of difference species of animals that you can get face to face with that you may not be able to experience in Michigan otherwise.

One of the animals you may have met while visiting in the past was a beloved 13-year-old giraffe named Tucker. He was known to 'bring joy' with visitors of all ages and walks of life, since his introduction to the park in 2009.

However, Monday in a heart breaking turn of events, keepers at the Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park, said they found Tucker unresponsive in his enclosure.

They did everything they could to save him, but unfortunately he wasn't able to pull through and make it according to a social media post.

The next day, veterinaries completed an autopsy in the afternoon and shared this discovery

Giraffes are noted for having the highest blood pressure of any animal species and the findings from the autopsy indicated Tucker had died from an acute onset of heart failure. This was a complete shock to all of us as he showed no signs of having any issues.

It's heartbreaking that Tucker passed away so young. Giraffes have the ability to live up to 25 years, so he was a little young for this to happen, making it even more upsetting for everyone involved.

If you'd like to pay respects to Tucker, you can leave a comment on their facebook post.

Thank you for all of the time you gave us Tucker, you'll be missed.