A giraffe at a zoo in northwest Switzerland died on Tuesday after strangling itself with a rope, sources close to the zoo authorities said.

The giraffe named Chakula, born at Basel zoo three years ago, died in its enclosure in front of a number of horrified visitors.

The accident happened after some branches were hung from the tree to entertain the animals, zoo authorities said.

The longstanding practice of hanging things from trees with rope would now be reviewed as another giraffe in a second Swiss zoo also died in the same way last month.

The dead giraffe was one of five at Basel Zoo.

AFP