Giraffe dies after smacking head on overpass

Animal was 1 of 2 giraffes being transported by truck in South Africa

A giraffe in South Africa is dead after smacking its head on an overpass while being transported by truck.

The giraffe was one of two in the back of a truck on a highway between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

According to eye witnesses, the other giraffe survived only because it was slightly shorter than its friend.

Still, the other giraffe was taken to a wildlife clinic for monitoring.

Prior to the accident, startled motorists took photos of the truck.

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"The impact of the giraffe's head on the bridge was so loud that my cousin, who was driving me, asked if someone had been shot," eyewitness Pabi Moloi told The Associated Press. "I saw the giraffe hit its head very hard on the concrete under the bridge and kind of be propelled forward."

Those responsible for the giraffe's death will likely be prosecuted under animal protection laws.