A newborn giraffe at the Nashville Zoo died on Saturday after being accidentally stepped on by its mother.
“We are devastated by the loss of Nasha’s cub,” said Rick Schwartz, the zoo’s president, in a statement.
“Our team has been working tirelessly to ensure that this calf receives the best care possible. We went from the fear of stillbirth to the joy of revival and anguish, ”said Schwartz.
The zoo said in a blog that an initial necropsy showed that the calf suffered a neck trauma.
Additional tests will be carried out to check for any possible causes of death, the zoo said.
During birth, the giraffe mother needed help from the zoo’s veterinary team after experiencing complications.
The zoo said officials will comfort the mother for the first time, which they say is fine, in the coming days.