Albuquerque officials say miscommunication led to giraffe remains being put in trash container

‘Miscommunication’ led to giraffe remains in trash

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque city officials blamed miscommunication for the remains of a Rio Grande Zoo giraffe being placed in a trash bin.

A memo Friday from a city official to Mayor Richard Berry said it was not an act of insubordination or disrespect but appears to be the result of unfortunate miscommunication between the zoo manager and an employee.

Berry ordered an investigation after learning about the remains of 16-year-old Kashka. The giraffe was euthanized at the zoo last week after a debilitating leg injury.

The zoo said large animals are dismembered before necropsy, with remains then going to the landfill for burial in a special area set aside for animals.

The report by Betty Rivera, director of the city department that oversees the zoo, said an employee told a manager no dump truck was available to take the animal to the landfill.

The manager said the employee could put the remains in an “open top” as long as the material was covered.

The manager thought “open top” referred to a large pickup truck, while the employee believed it meant a trash container, Rivera explained.

Reports indicate the zoo and a landfill are reviewing procedures and will ensure employees are trained.