2nd zoo giraffe dies suddenly within 7-week span
A zoo giraffe has abruptly died for the second time in less than seven weeks.
The latest tragedy occurred Monday at the Los Angeles Zoo after a 12-year-old female passed away following a procedure to deliver her stillborn calf, the institution announced Tuesday.
“Hasina was a healthy giraffe in her prime, so we were hopeful that she would survive,” explained L.A. Zoo chief veterinarian Dominque Keller. “Following the procedure, Hasina was standing on her own, which is a positive sign, but in the end she may have been too weak from the experience.”
Despite the assistance of dozens of zoo staffers, Hasina died after a five-hour procedure, according to a zoo statement.
The shocking death comes only 44 days after a newborn calf passed away suddenly at the Nashville Zoo.
The L.A. Zoo has not revealed the cause of Hasina’s death but said the procedure was complicated by the length of time she he was under anesthesia and the calf’s breech position.
“Hasina had recovered from anesthesia and was doing well, eventually standing and beginning to eat. Still, her situation remained serious,” read a statement on Facebook.
Hasina, who arrived at the zoo in 2010, was the mother of five other calves, reported The Associated Press.
On Jan. 16, a newborn giraffe born at the Nashville Zoo died horrifically after its mother, Nasha, inadvertently stepped on its neck, the Daily News previously reported.
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The Masai, the largest subspecies of giraffe, can grow as high as 18 feet tall and weigh 3,000 pounds, according to the Smithsonian Conservation Commons.
The website also claims that no two giraffes have the same pattern of spots, which are as unique as human fingerprints.