Baby Giraffe Dies at Texas Zoo Days After Mother Giraffe's Death

"The Cameron Park Zoo staff are deeply saddened by the loss of Zuri," the zoo shared in a statement about the giraffe calf's death

The Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas, is mourning the loss of two of its beloved giraffes.

Over the weekend, the Cameron Park Zoo shared a Facebook post alerting its followers that Zuri, a Masai giraffe calf, died on Saturday morning.

The heartbreaking announcement comes four days after the death of the giraffe's mother, Penelope. According to the Texas zoo's Facebook, Penelope died on July 19 after becoming suddenly ill.

"It is with great sadness that the Cameron Park Zoo announces the death of Penelope, the Zoo's adult female Masai giraffe. Penelope became ill late last night, and the Zoo's veterinarian and staff worked with her during the night, and unfortunately, she passed early this morning," the zoo wrote on Facebook.

After Penelope's death, caretakers "transitioned [Zuri] to a milk formula along with having her connect with the other female giraffe, Jenny, a reticulated giraffe," according to Cameron Park Zoo's Facebook post about Zuri's death. Unfortunately, Zuri died despite the zoo's effort to comfort and care for the animal following her mother's death.

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On social media, the zoo shared that a "necropsy (animal autopsy)" was performed on each animal to determine each giraffe's cause of death, "It will take several weeks to receive the results," the Cameron Park Zoo wrote on Facebook.

"The Cameron Park Zoo staff are deeply saddened by the loss of Zuri. They appreciate the continued support of the community in this difficult time," the facility concluded its social media announcement about the baby animal's death.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Penelope was acquired by the Texas zoo from the San Diego Zoo. She was 10 years old when she died and was adored by community members, as was Zuri.

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Temple, Texas, NBC News affiliate KCEN-TV shared that Zuri was born on June 23 and was less than a month old at the time of her death. The outlet added that the zoo recently held a baby naming contest on Facebook to prepare for Zuri's arrival.

It was easy for giraffes like Zuri and Penelope to stand out at the zoo because Masai giraffes are the largest giraffe species and can be found in Central and Southern Kenya and Tanzania. Another fascinating trait of the species is their distinct and irregular star-like blotches extending to their hooves.

Unfortunately, poaching and habitat fragmentation have landed Masai giraffes on The International Union for Conservation of Nature's endangered species list.

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In October 2021, the Dallas Zoo suffered from an unprecedented loss when they announced the death of three giraffes in one month, including a 14-year-old giraffe names Jesse, a 19-year-old giraffe named Auggie who died from "age-related health issues that led to liver failure," and a 3-month-old calf named Marekani.

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