Alicia Silverstone is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of two baby giraffes that vanished from a Virginia zoo now embroiled in scandal. The Clueless actor has teamed up with PETA in hopes the reward will bring forward information about the calves, who vanished from Natural Bridge Zoo in April, shortly after they were born. "Tearing babies away from their distraught mothers is devastating for both, no matter what species they are," Silverstone said in a statement, urging anyone with knowledge of the calves' whereabouts to speak up, per the New York Post.
The zoo has been under scrutiny since late 2023 when authorities seized over 100 animals amid an animal cruelty probe. Twenty-eight animals were either found dead or had to be euthanized. Four adult giraffes remained at the facility because moving them was deemed too difficult, and the two females became pregnant. They'd given birth by the time inspectors visited in April, but the calves, who rely on their mother's milk for at least nine months, were nowhere to be found. PETA claims the zoo has a history of separating giraffe babies from their mothers, having shipped out "at least 14 baby giraffes in the 10 years prior to the state's seizure."
The zoo's co-owner Gretchen Mogensen is now serving a 100-day jail sentence for refusing to disclose what happened to the missing giraffes, even when pressed under oath. At a hearing in September, a judge gave her five weeks to either produce the calves or reveal their location to Virginia's Animal Law Unit. When the deadline passed, Mogensen was jailed for contempt. Her legal team argues she can't mount a defense without incriminating herself as a criminal investigation is ongoing. Silverstone hopes the reward money will soon have others talking.
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