MIAMI, Florida — A giraffe born in December was found dead Saturday at Zoo Miami of a broken neck, according to zoo officials.
“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,” says a news release from the zoo.
Staff at the zoo found the female giraffe dead early Saturday morning. A necropsy confirmed it had died of a broken neck.
“Because the event that led to this trauma happened overnight and was not personally observed, zoo officials can only speculate that something startled the animal and caused it to run into a fence, resulting in the fatal injury,” the news release says. “No other giraffe in the herd displayed any signs of trauma and all have since returned to their normal routines without incident.
“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.” The zoo says it is offering counseling to staff.
The zoo says it has an “exceptional” record of caring for giraffes. It says 60 giraffes have been born at the zoo. The Miami Herald reports a baby giraffe died at the zoo in 2016.
The giraffe that died Saturday was born on Dec. 15.