A baby giraffe at the Nashville Zoo died “shortly after birth” on Saturday after her mother, named Nasha, accidentally stepped on it, the zoo announced. An autopsy showed trauma to the newborn’s neck, the zoo said in a press release, adding that it would complete additional tests to “determine if there were underlying causes” of his death.
The calf looked “thriving” after an initial examination after birth, said Dr. Heather Schwartz, the zoo’s director of veterinary medicine.
“I moved the newborn to be with her mother and the two were bonding. Meanwhile, Nasha may have inadvertently injured her calf,” Schwartz explained. ” giraffe the owners noticed that the calf was in danger “.
The zoo explained that their animal care team intervened, but could not save the calf’s life.
The zoo posted on social media on Saturday, first sharing the news about the calf’s birth and later death. “Thank you all for your support in recent weeks and especially in this difficult time,” the zoo said in an Instagram post announcing the death of the newborn giraffe.
Nasha’s first birth did not go well even before the loss.
The zoo said that complications did not develop during her labor and Nasha “is not progressing properly with her birth”. But, the veterinary professionals intervened and finally managed to successfully deliver the baby giraffe.
“We are devastated by the loss of the Nasha calf,” said Nashville Zoo President and CEO Rick Schwartz, according to the statement. “Our staff has worked tirelessly to ensure that this calf has been given the best possible care. We have gone from the fear of a stillborn to the joy of resuscitation to anxiety.”
The zoo said Nasha was “doing well” afterwards, adding that staff would provide “plenty of comfort and care” in the coming days.
The loss was shared by many outside the walls of the zoo.
People around the world watched the giraffe’s pregnancy online and thousands adapted to its work through a live online stream, the zoo said. A local Nashville television station has installed three rooms to allow public access to Nasha’s pregnancy and birth, the statement said.