The unresolved plight of giraffes imported to Brazil

After years, a gigantic case of wildlife trafficking still has no solution in Brazil amidst legal actions, complaints and anger. At stake is the life of more than 10 giraffes, transferred to Brazil from Africa and confined to a resort

In 2021, another sad and controversial news made headlines that has not yet found its resolution. This is the strange story of several giraffes transferred from Africa to an uncertain captivity. Three years later, absolute silence.

The biggest wildlife import in history: Brazil

In November 2021, 18 giraffes were shipped from South Africa to BioParque do Rio in Brazil. The transaction was the largest importation of wildlife ever done in Brazil.
They were to be sent to an area in isolation and then transferred to the zoo. But a surprise for all was in store: three of those giraffes died in a desperate attempt to escape. A fourth one died later reportedly due to the parasite Haemonchus.

Imprisonment in a Luxury resort

Later on, the other giraffes have been kept imprisoned in the Portobello Resort & Safari in Mangaratiba. Since that time, their fate has been completely uncertain. The case has generated quite a scandal. Animal welfare organizations denounced the conditions in which the giraffes were being kept and also expressed a critique against the introduction of wild animals into unsuitable rural settings.

Brazilian authorities have reiterated that they are committed to finding a solution to this problem. Ibama, in 2023, released a statement saying:

“Administrative and judicial procedures concerning the case are in court, and we want a final solution that has the welfare of the animals as a priority.”

Uncertain future for the giraffes

Three years after November 2021, the African giraffes remained in inhospitable conditions and with injuries and traumas. Their future was now more uncertain than ever.

Calls for sanctuary relocation

It is with this complex situation that animal rightists have expressed their dwindling faith in the system of justice, adding that the truth might be something different from what was officially presented. They want all the remaining giraffes to be sent to a sanctuary where they can live without event and ask, but when?