A giraffe who captured the nation’s imagination with its bold dash to freedom was found drowned to death in a pond not so far from where it fled captivity.

After about a day and a half on the lam, the poor spotty giraffe was found by authorities who’d been looking for it, face down in swampy terrain it had never encountered in its native Africa.

Update: Fury erupts over idiot who hit giraffe with his motorbike

Its body was found just off Highway 304 in Chachoengsao province where, along with a smaller giraffe, it bailed Tuesday evening from a truck transporting them to a zoo in Prachinburi province. They briefly snarled traffic at the Bang Khla intersection in Chachoengsao; the smaller giraffe was quickly recaptured.

A subsequent search on foot and involving drones for the larger giraffe, standing 7 meters tall, came up empty until today.

The search was called off after today’s tragic discovery. Checks out with 2020 so far.

R.I.P. to a beautiful creature that just wanted to be free.

Related:

Giraffe condemned to Thai zoo did a runner and now no one can find it

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