Report: Giraffe killed after hitting head on bridge while being transported in truck

Reports from South Africa say that a giraffe was killed as it was being moved from one location to another along a motorway.

A rather shocking story of animal cruelty is emerging from South Africa today with reports from the BBC that a giraffe was killed after hitting its head on a bridge. Social media users had tweeted pictures of the animals in transit, commenting on the dangers of the low bridges they were approaching.

Look how low that bridge is and how tall the giraffes are. Who thought this one through? I wish I hadn't seen this. pic.twitter.com/as2jJkIwpv — Pabi Moloi (@PabiMoloi) July 31, 2014

 

@ewnreporter Truck with 2 giraffe just passed underneath Garsfontein rd on N1. 1 giraffe hit it's head on the bridge. pic.twitter.com/Bb3Jac3ew3 — Thinus Botha (@thinusb_) July 31, 2014

The owner of the giraffe has since confirmed to South African media that the animal was dead. South Africa's animal cruelty prevention body, the SPCA, are investigating how the animal died. “All we can ascertain at this stage is severe head trauma. We are continuing our investigation with the view to possibly lay criminal charges against those responsible,” the SPCA’s Rick Allan told Johannesburg’s Eye Witness News, and reported in Mashable.