6-Year-Old Giraffe Dies at New York Zoo After Getting Caught in His Enclosure's Gate
Seneca Park Zoo/Facebook
A 6-year-old giraffe tragically died after an accident at a zoo in Rochester, New York.
Parker, a male Masai giraffe, was found dead on Sunday by staff members at the Seneca Park Zoo (SPZ). According to a release from the zoo, keepers found the animal caught in a "support structure for the giraffe enclosure gate" and unresponsive.
"The possibility of this kind of event happening was unforeseen and unprecedented," Seneace Park Zoo Superintendent Steve Lacy said. "The gate structure, installed in 2018, is a standard giraffe enclosure feature and is used in a number of accredited zoos around the country."
The New York zoo added that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) were "notified of the accident, and SPZ is working with both agencies regarding the incident and on the modifications to the gate structure."
Zoo officials determined that Parker fractured his neck while trying to free himself from the enclosure, the facility said, according to USA Today.
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"Parker will be sorely missed by all. He had been in excellent health prior to this and was a joy to both staff and visitors," said Seneca Park Zoo veterinarian Chris McKinney. "Our priority is the health and well-being of our animals, and any major event can certainly affect them."
However, McKinney said the zoo's three other giraffes — Iggy, Kipenzi, and Olmsted — are doing well.
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"We will continue to monitor them closely in the coming days," he added.
Seneca Park Zoo/Facebook
Parker came to SPZ from the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2018 and moved in with Kipenzi and Iggy. He was known for his "curiosity and playfulness," officials said. He was the father of Olmsted, who was born in April 2022.
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Sadly, this is the second time the zoo has lost a giraffe in less than a year.
Parker's other offspring, a male calf, was euthanized at three weeks old in July 2022 after the zoo's veterinary staff could not correct a congenital abnormality in the calf's left front fetlock joint, USA Today reported.
