Marwell Zoo announces sudden death of giraffe

Irsula is the second giraffe to die at Marwell Zoo in recent months

A zoo has announced the unexpected death of one of its giraffes.

Marwell Zoo, near Winchester in Hampshire, said it was "shocked" after the animal, called Irsula, "collapsed suddenly" on Tuesday.

The zoo said Irsula would be "greatly missed" and that it was awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination.

It comes after another giraffe at the zoo, Matilda, was euthanised in June "following the onset of symptoms thought to be age-related".

In a statement, the zoo said: "After she collapsed suddenly, our teams were extremely quick to react and attend to Irsula, but she had sadly died.

"Our talented keepers and veterinarians work very closely with our animals, and Irsula showed no signs of illness, nor was she undergoing treatment for any health conditions."

'Character'

Ian Goodwin, the zoo's animal collection manager, said Irsula was a "favourite among the keepers" because of her "naughty moments".

"She would regularly test the keepers and see how far she could push her luck," he added.

"But that made her the character that she was and that everyone enjoyed working with."

Marwell has had giraffes since 1971.

Irsula was born in 2008 and arrived at Marwell in 2011 from Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire.