Baby Giraffe Dies During Birth, Leaving Columbus Zoo Devastated

Another devastating loss happened as the highly anticipated birth of a baby giraffe at the Columbus Zoo ended with the animal’s death. The calf was said to have suffered from serious congenital defects and would not have survived after birth. According to a report by People, the team at the zoo did everything they could to save the baby, even performing an emergency C-section on the Masai giraffe mom.

Labor began in the middle of the afternoon around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 4. The excitement turned to concern when they realized that something was wrong. The baby giraffe was coming out with its back hooves first, which is quite rare and most do not survive when that happens. In a normal delivery, the front hooves come out first.

The entire birth was supposed to be captured on live stream on the National Geographic site. It was on at the beginning when labor started. You could barely see a little bit of the calf’s hooves sticking out, but then the cam was ultimately switched off when the complications arose. The C-section was then performed hours later around 8 p.m. However, the best efforts of the team were unsuccessful. The baby giraffe didn’t survive, leaving the entire staff at the Columbus Zoo saddened by the loss.

Unfortunately, this is the second loss that has been felt in less than a month. Just three weeks ago, an 18-day-old calf named Ubumwe unexpectedly died. The exact cause is unknown at this time, but there was an abnormality found in the bowel. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the baby giraffe passed away after being given the best care possible.

It's with great sadness we report the loss of the giraffe calf. To try and save mom and baby, the team performed an emergency C-section. They found the calf had serious congenital defects and would not have survived. We appreciate our community's support. https://t.co/0UZwpSvk1s pic.twitter.com/1xCIpkkU5f

— Columbus Zoo (@ColumbusZoo) December 5, 2018

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium President/CEO Tom Stalf put out a statement.

“The loss of any animal is heartbreaking to the Columbus Zoo’s devoted animal care and animal health teams, particularly two whose births were as anticipated as these giraffe calves’. Despite the sad outcome, I am proud of our caring professionals for the great measures they took to try to save both Ubumwe, as well as Cami’s calf.”

He went on to include that baby giraffes, as well as other animals, are very vulnerable when they are born. He said that 6-year-old Cami will be well taken care of. She is said to be in stable condition at this time. The entire staff at the zoo are grateful for the outpouring of support and love from the community and beyond.

Cami has been at the Columbus Zoo since 2013 and she was eventually paired up with Enzi, 8. This was Cami’s first baby. While the loss of two baby giraffes is devastating, the team at the zoo will continue their efforts to protect wildlife.