Recently, a 3-month-old female giraffe died at Zoo Miami after the animal reportedly broke its neck this past weekend. According to officials, the body of the juvenile giraffe, who was born in mid-December, was discovered by zoo employees on Saturday.
Following a necropsy, staff concluded that the giraffe died of asphyxiation after breaking her neck. Zoo Miami employees have deduced that something may have startled the giraffe, causing it to run into a fence, leading to the fatal injury. However, officials are still uncertain about the actual cause of death.
“Zoo staff continue to closely monitor the herd for any indication of stress or abnormal behavior while searching for any indication of what may have led to this very sad incident,” according to a statement from Zoo Miami, which labeled the event a “devastating loss.” A Zoo Miami official explained to Fox News Digital that it is “certainly not common” for a giraffe to break its neck.
One official with the zoo noted that it is particularly difficult to ascertain what led to this tragic incident and prevent it from happening to another giraffe at Zoo Miami. “With that said, it is difficult to say what could be done to prevent a similar occurrence in the future,” Zoo Miami communications director Ron Magill stated. “It is apparent that something must have startled the animal which caused it to run into a fence, resulting in the fatal injury.”
Magill further noted that no other giraffes that were in the same enclosure as the deceased juvenile displayed any sign of trauma, further troubling their investigations into the underlying cause of the incident. “However, none of the other giraffes that were living alongside this young female showed any signs of trauma, so it is difficult to say what might have caused this individual [giraffe] to sustain the injury,” he added. “Zoo staff is continuing to monitor the behavior of the herd as well as the surrounding areas in hopes of discovering a more definitive explanation of what may have happened.”
According to an official statement from Zoo Miami: “It is with profound sadness that Zoo Miami announces the death of a juvenile giraffe that was born on December 15th. The young female was found deceased early Saturday morning by Animal Science staff and was then transported to the Zoo Animal Health Facility where a necropsy was performed. The results of the necropsy confirmed that the cause of death was a broken neck.”
The statement continued, “Zoo Miami has had an exceptional record of caring for giraffes, with 60 being born throughout its history. In addition, it has provided funding through the Zoo Miami Conservation Fund to various organizations in support of giraffe conservation in the wild. This has been a devastating loss, and all procedures are being carefully evaluated to help ensure the prevention of any similar incidents in the future. As part of a support system for staff dealing with loss, Zoo Miami partners with an organization called, “GRAZE,” which stands for Growing Resiliency for Aquarium and Zoo Employees to provide counseling in times of crisis and loss for those who may need it.”
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Featured image credit: Zoo Miami