<p>A giraffe whose daring escape from convoy en route to a Thai breeding station won hearts online was found dead in a lotus-clogged canal on Thursday after a two-day search using drones and hang gliders.</p>.<p>Two giraffes made a bid for freedom from the back of a poorly secured truck as it slowed in highway traffic after leaving Bangkok's main airport on Tuesday.</p>.<p>The animals had been imported from an unnamed African country and destined for Safari World, a popular attraction outside Bangkok which describes itself as "an open zoo".</p>.<p>Rescuers caught one of the creatures after stunning it with a tranquiliser gun, but the other escaped into scrubland -- cheered on by hundreds of thousands of people on social media.</p>.<p>The story took a tragic turn, however, after it was found dead in a lotus swamp near a main road, according to Safari World.</p>.<p>Vets will determine the cause of death.</p>.<p>Hundreds of thousands of Thais followed Facebook live videos of journalists trailing the hunt for the runaway ungulate.</p>.<p>Comments lamenting its fate poured onto social media.</p>.<p>"Hope you reincarnate in a better world lil giraffe," said one.</p>.<p>Safari World is Thailand's biggest animal park, but the multi-million dollar company has in the past been criticised for training its creatures to perform for entertainment -- including staging boxing matches with orangutans.</p>.<p>Zoos and animal shows are common in Thailand, where tourists pay to have their pictures taken with tigers or watch elephants play football and perform tricks.</p>
<p>A giraffe whose daring escape from convoy en route to a Thai breeding station won hearts online was found dead in a lotus-clogged canal on Thursday after a two-day search using drones and hang gliders.</p>.<p>Two giraffes made a bid for freedom from the back of a poorly secured truck as it slowed in highway traffic after leaving Bangkok's main airport on Tuesday.</p>.<p>The animals had been imported from an unnamed African country and destined for Safari World, a popular attraction outside Bangkok which describes itself as "an open zoo".</p>.<p>Rescuers caught one of the creatures after stunning it with a tranquiliser gun, but the other escaped into scrubland -- cheered on by hundreds of thousands of people on social media.</p>.<p>The story took a tragic turn, however, after it was found dead in a lotus swamp near a main road, according to Safari World.</p>.<p>Vets will determine the cause of death.</p>.<p>Hundreds of thousands of Thais followed Facebook live videos of journalists trailing the hunt for the runaway ungulate.</p>.<p>Comments lamenting its fate poured onto social media.</p>.<p>"Hope you reincarnate in a better world lil giraffe," said one.</p>.<p>Safari World is Thailand's biggest animal park, but the multi-million dollar company has in the past been criticised for training its creatures to perform for entertainment -- including staging boxing matches with orangutans.</p>.<p>Zoos and animal shows are common in Thailand, where tourists pay to have their pictures taken with tigers or watch elephants play football and perform tricks.</p>