It’s been more than a year since two giraffe calves were reported missing, but they have finally been found safe.
The Office of the Attorney General of Virginia announced that the animals disappeared from the Natural Bridge Zoo in 2025, but were recently located and taken to a facility for care.
The attorney general’s office did not say where or how they were found.
The incident dates back to a 2024 trial where a jury decided to grant custody of dozens of the zoo’s animals to Rockbridge County after the panel determined that the animals had been subjected to cruel treatment or did not have adequate care, WSB reported.
Three giraffes remained at the zoo, and one was eventually relocated. But two were unable to be moved due to the cold weather and their pregnancy.
The zoo had been required to inform the attorney general as soon as two giraffes gave birth. Months later, it was discovered that the calves had been born, but the calves were nowhere to be found.
WDBJ reported that the zoo’s co-owner, Gretchen Mogensen, was ordered to serve a 100-day jail sentence for not telling the court what happened to them or to turn them over.
At one point, “Clueless” actress Alicia Silverstone had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the giraffes’ whereabouts.
The zoo had been at the center of animal abuse allegations since 2023, with 96 animals having been seized by state authorities, WDBJ reported.
The Natural Bridge Zoo’s four co-owners are facing a total of 55 misdemeanor charges.
The two giraffes are currently being kept at the Georgia Safari Conservation Park, WSB reported.
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