Jackson Free Press

The Jackson Zoo lost one of its most famous residents earlier this week.

On Dec. 16, Diamond the reticulated giraffe passed away at the age of 28, missing her 29th birthday by a couple of weeks.

"She inspired a fascination with animals in all who knew her. She was a favorite among zoo guests and staff alike," Diamond's zookeeper Jenny Ghents said in a press release. "She will be missed dearly and remembered fondly by her keepers."

Diamond was born at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Co., Jan. 1, 1986, and came to the Jackson Zoo Oct. 9, 1992. Before she passed away, she was one of the oldest living giraffes in the United States.

The reticulated giraffe, which is also known as a Somali giraffe, is a subspecies native to Somalia, southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. It's one of the most widely known subspecies of giraffe, as reticulated and Rothschild giraffes are the two commonly found giraffe in zoos.

Diamond lived much longer than the average giraffe in captivity, which is estimated to have a 20 to 25 year lifespan. The oldest living one passed away in 2007 at age 33.

In her later years, Jackson State University said Diamond was in bad health. She had arthritis and other complications that came with her age. When she was no longer able to stand or eat, the zoo staff decided to euthanize her.

"Due to Diamond's advanced age and related medical issues, we could see that even with daily pain and anti-inflammatory medication that she no longer had quality of life," Dr. Michael Holified, Zoo Veterinarian said in the release.

Diamond is survived by the zoo's male giraffe, Casper, who recently turned 11. The zoo says it hopes to bring another female reticulated giraffe into the mix in 2015 to serve as Casper's mate.