Local Zoo's Troubled Past Revealed Through $50,000 Reward for Missing Baby Giraffes
A Virginia zoo that has been shrouded in controversy is facing a new challenge as actress Alicia Silverstone offers a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of two missing baby giraffes. The calves vanished from Natural Bridge Zoo seven months ago, and their absence has raised concerns about animal welfare.
The case drew attention when zookeeper Gretchen Mogensen was jailed for 100 days after refusing to cooperate with authorities over the missing giraffes. Mogensen's attorneys claimed that she couldn't present a defense without incriminating herself in the ongoing investigation. The judge ultimately ruled that the zookeeper had five weeks to either reveal where the calves were or return them to the Attorney General's Animal Law Unit.
The animals at Natural Bridge Zoo have been under scrutiny since December 2023, when officials seized over 100 animals as part of a criminal animal cruelty probe. Twenty-eight of the animals were found deceased or humanely euthanized, while four living giraffes remained at the zoo due to logistical challenges in relocating them.
However, it appears that despite efforts by investigators to regularly check on the remaining animals, including the four living giraffes, the two missing calves are still nowhere to be found. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation notes that baby giraffes rely on milk from their mothers for nine to 12 months after birth, and typically start grazing at around four months old.
Silverstone's involvement in the case highlights growing public concern about animal welfare. "Tearing babies away from their distraught mothers is devastating for both, no matter what species they are," she said in a statement. The actress' $50,000 reward offers hope that someone with information about the calves' whereabouts may come forward and help reunite them with their mothers.
A Virginia zoo that has been shrouded in controversy is facing a new challenge as actress Alicia Silverstone offers a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of two missing baby giraffes. The calves vanished from Natural Bridge Zoo seven months ago, and their absence has raised concerns about animal welfare.
The case drew attention when zookeeper Gretchen Mogensen was jailed for 100 days after refusing to cooperate with authorities over the missing giraffes. Mogensen's attorneys claimed that she couldn't present a defense without incriminating herself in the ongoing investigation. The judge ultimately ruled that the zookeeper had five weeks to either reveal where the calves were or return them to the Attorney General's Animal Law Unit.
The animals at Natural Bridge Zoo have been under scrutiny since December 2023, when officials seized over 100 animals as part of a criminal animal cruelty probe. Twenty-eight of the animals were found deceased or humanely euthanized, while four living giraffes remained at the zoo due to logistical challenges in relocating them.
However, it appears that despite efforts by investigators to regularly check on the remaining animals, including the four living giraffes, the two missing calves are still nowhere to be found. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation notes that baby giraffes rely on milk from their mothers for nine to 12 months after birth, and typically start grazing at around four months old.
Silverstone's involvement in the case highlights growing public concern about animal welfare. "Tearing babies away from their distraught mothers is devastating for both, no matter what species they are," she said in a statement. The actress' $50,000 reward offers hope that someone with information about the calves' whereabouts may come forward and help reunite them with their mothers.
. I mean, can you even imagine being one of those baby giraffes? They're just babies, for crying out loud! They need their moms to survive, but now they're all alone and nobody knows where they are 
. It's like, what did the zookeepers do wrong that they couldn't take care of these animals properly? The reward from Alicia Silverstone is a good start, I guess, but it's just not enough 
. We need to make sure something like this never happens again in the first place... how can we even trust zoos with our precious wild animals if we don't have better laws and regulations in place 
?
"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." 
- Victor Hugo
i mean who even checks on animals that hard? 
and now it's all about Alicia Silverstone saving the day with her $50k reward 
meanwhile, what about the zoo's reputation after this whole debacle? 
The whole situation just stinks, you know?
The fact that the zookeeper got jailed for not cooperating is just crazy... what a terrible situation for all those animals involved! 
. I mean, how many animals do they need to mess up before people start taking notice? They're basically offering a $50k reward for info on the missing giraffes... like anyone would just magically know where they are after 7 months? 
I guess she didn't want to cooperate and risk being a co-conspirator, but now people might be in trouble for not knowing something they shouldn't have known. 
The thought of those baby giraffes being separated from their mamas is heartbreaking... what kind of zoo does that? 
i'm so upset about these 2 giraffes! they're like, baby giraffes u know? they need milk from their moms for like 9-12 months 
and then they start eating grass... but they won't even get that chance because they're missing 
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I'm so worried about those poor baby giraffes! It's heartbreaking to think that they've been missing for seven months 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to help find their babies? 
. We need more people like her advocating for animal welfare 
. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation is right, those little guys rely on their mums for so long! Let's keep fingers crossed that they find the babies soon 
. I mean, a kid giraffe goes missin', and now another? That's just crazy talk! And to think they've had these animals locked up for months, it's like they're playin' God with lives 
and now Alicia Silverstone is stepping in with that reward, like she's got her heart in it 
I'm so worried about those giraffe babies! It's crazy that they're still missing after 7 months 
. Alicia Silverstone is doing her part by offering that $50k reward 
. It's crazy that they had to jail a zookeeper for not cooperating... like what else could she've done? And those 28 animals that died? 
. I hope Silverstone's reward helps find those giraffes soon... they're counting on us 
natural bridge zoo needs 2 get its act together ASAP 