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Her half-sister Zuri is the zoo's last reticulated giraffe. A female Masai giraffe named Rafiki, Swahili for \"friend,\" was born in June 2008.

Less than 16,000 reticulated giraffes remain in the wild, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. They are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

\"PHOTO:
Phoenix Zoo via Facebook
PHOTO: Makope, a 14-year-old giraffe at the Phoenix Zoo, seen here in this undated photo, has died after suddenly developing neurologic abnormalities.
>

Makope's body is being sent to Midwestern University for a full necropsy to determine cause of death.

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