Gemina (giraffe)
Encyclopedia
Gemina was a 12-foot-tall Baringo giraffe who lived in the Santa Barbara Zoo
in Santa Barbara, California
. She became notable for the peculiar deformity
in her neck
, which was bent by almost ninety degrees between her C3 and C4 vertebrae. The deformity was not present when she was born, in the San Diego Wild Animal Park
, but first became noticeable when she was three years old.
. She showed no signs of a neck deformity at birth and was moved to the Santa Barbara Zoo when she was approximately one year old.
Gemina's deformity did not appear until she was three years old. Her neck vertebrae began to jut out from her neck at this age. Eventually her neck became bent sharply. The last time that this type of a deformity
had been documented in a giraffe
was 1902. X-rays of Gemina's neck showed that her vertebrae had fused together, but scientists, zoologists and veterinarians could find no explanation for the deformity. Gemina was seen tumbling end over end when she was two years old. However, tests found no sign of injury at the time, and there is no evidence that the accident caused the neck deformity. Gemina gave birth to a calf in 1991. Unfortunately, her calf died of pneumonia
soon after birth.
Gemina lived an almost-normal life for a zoo giraffe, except that she had to be fed separately; her keepers noted that her tongue was shorter than those of the other giraffes, and she did not have peripheral vision
to the same extent that normal giraffes do. The zoo cited her as an inspiration for disabled children http://www.santabarbarazoo.org/media/pr_crooked_necked_giraffe_turns_21_07_07.doc, and she was featured on an episode of Miracle Workers
, an ABC
reality show, as an inspiration for a child with scoliosis
. She was sung to by children on her 21st birthday celebration in July 2007.
Despite her rare neck deformity, Gemina reached old age for a giraffe. She outlived the average giraffe by almost six years.
In December 2007 and January 2008, Gemina stopped eating and her health
began to deteriorate due to old age.
She was reluctantly euthanized
by her keepers at the Santa Barbara Zoo on January 9, 2008.
Santa Barbara Zoo
The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on near the ocean in Santa Barbara, California. It was formerly known as the Child's Estate Zoo. The zoo has been ranked numerous times as one of the nation's best small zoos. It has 600 animals in numerous exhibits, including capybara and Californian Condors, and...
in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. She became notable for the peculiar deformity
Deformity
A deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major difference in the shape of body part or organ compared to the average shape of that part.Deformity may arise from numerous causes:*A Genetic mutation*Damage to the fetus or uterus...
in her neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
, which was bent by almost ninety degrees between her C3 and C4 vertebrae. The deformity was not present when she was born, in the San Diego Wild Animal Park
San Diego Wild Animal Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in San Diego County. The Park houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including...
, but first became noticeable when she was three years old.
Life
Gemina was born on July 16, 1986, at the San Diego Wild Animal ParkSan Diego Wild Animal Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in San Diego County. The Park houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including...
. She showed no signs of a neck deformity at birth and was moved to the Santa Barbara Zoo when she was approximately one year old.
Gemina's deformity did not appear until she was three years old. Her neck vertebrae began to jut out from her neck at this age. Eventually her neck became bent sharply. The last time that this type of a deformity
Deformity
A deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major difference in the shape of body part or organ compared to the average shape of that part.Deformity may arise from numerous causes:*A Genetic mutation*Damage to the fetus or uterus...
had been documented in a giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
was 1902. X-rays of Gemina's neck showed that her vertebrae had fused together, but scientists, zoologists and veterinarians could find no explanation for the deformity. Gemina was seen tumbling end over end when she was two years old. However, tests found no sign of injury at the time, and there is no evidence that the accident caused the neck deformity. Gemina gave birth to a calf in 1991. Unfortunately, her calf died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
soon after birth.
Gemina lived an almost-normal life for a zoo giraffe, except that she had to be fed separately; her keepers noted that her tongue was shorter than those of the other giraffes, and she did not have peripheral vision
Peripheral vision
Peripheral vision is a part of vision that occurs outside the very center of gaze. There is a broad set of non-central points in the field of view that is included in the notion of peripheral vision...
to the same extent that normal giraffes do. The zoo cited her as an inspiration for disabled children http://www.santabarbarazoo.org/media/pr_crooked_necked_giraffe_turns_21_07_07.doc, and she was featured on an episode of Miracle Workers
Miracle Workers
Miracle Workers is the name of a reality television show on ABC. It premiered on March 6, 2006....
, an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
reality show, as an inspiration for a child with scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
. She was sung to by children on her 21st birthday celebration in July 2007.
Despite her rare neck deformity, Gemina reached old age for a giraffe. She outlived the average giraffe by almost six years.
In December 2007 and January 2008, Gemina stopped eating and her health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
began to deteriorate due to old age.
She was reluctantly euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
by her keepers at the Santa Barbara Zoo on January 9, 2008.
External links
- Santa Barbara Zoo's official video commemorating Gemina's 21st birthday
- Los Angeles Times: Gemina the giraffe dies at 21
- Audio interview with Michelle Green, Gemina's caretaker at As It HappensAs It HappensAs It Happens is a long-running interview show on CBC Radio One in Canada. Its 40th anniversary was celebrated on-air on 18 November 2008. It has been one of the most popular and acclaimed shows on CBC Radio; it is also distributed in the United States by Public Radio International.The bulk of the...
(begins 21 minutes and 20 seconds into the program)