World News for Students of English

11-08-2014 07:00

A giraffe suffered severe head trauma and later died in South Africa on Thursday, after its owner drove underneath a bridge on a motorway.

On Wednesday morning, eyewitnesses tweeted photos showing two giraffes being towed in an open lorry container. They then reported that one of the towering animals had hit its head, as it travelled under a bridge in Pretoria.

The vehicle then broke down and had to wait several hours to be repaired.

Both animals were taken to a vet, but one died on arrival. The second giraffe was uninjured.

A spokesman for The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals confirmed that the giraffe had sustained a head injury, but said that an autopsy was necessary to determine the cause of death. An investigation has now been launched, and the spokesman said the investigation so far shows that the transport used was inadequate and incorrect. Those responsible for transporting the giraffes could face criminal charges.

Difficult words: severe (very serious), tow (pull), towering (extremely tall), autopsy (examination after death), transport (movement from one place to another), inadequate (not good enough for a particular purpose).

Source: www.itn.co.uk