(Newser)
– The Nashville Zoo says keepers will give the giraffe Nasha “an abundance of comfort and care for the next few days” after the tragic death of its newborn. After a 15-month pregnancy and a birth attended by thousands of people on Saturday on the “Baby Giraffe Cam”, the infant giraffe died shortly after birth when its mother accidentally stepped on its neck, ABC reported. The calf was placed with his mother for a bond after a difficult birth in which the zoo’s veterinary team and Matthew DeLisle of Tennessee Equine Hospital had to intervene to give birth to the calf, reports the Tennessean. The zoo says the team was unable to save the baby giraffe after the keepers realized she was in danger.
The zoo says the veterinary team found that the giraffe suffered trauma to the neck, but will do more tests to see if any underlying problems may have contributed to the death. “We are devastated by the loss of Nasha’s cub,” said the president and CEO of the zoo, Rick Schwartz, in a statement. “Our team worked tirelessly to ensure that this calf received the best possible care. We went from the fear of stillbirth to the joy of rebirth and anguish.” This was Nasha’s first birth, and the zoo says she is recovering well. “Thank you all for your support over the past few weeks and during this difficult period,” said the zoo in a Facebook post. (Read more giraffe stories.)