A Florida zoo says one of its juvenile giraffes was found dead after breaking its neck. (Zoo Miami)
Miami
A young giraffe at a zoo in Florida was found dead in its enclosure over the weekend.
Officials with Zoo Miami said one of their young female giraffes was found unresponsive Saturday morning by staff.
The animal was transported to the Zoo Animal Health Facility where a necropsy was performed that confirmed that the cause of death was a broken neck.
The animal care team said they can only speculate that something startled the animal and caused it to run into a fence, resulting in the fatal injury, since the incident happened overnight and it was not personally observed.
The giraffe was born on Dec. 15, 2023.
No other giraffe in the herd displayed any signs of trauma, and all have since returned to their normal routines, the team said.
According to zoo staff, they are continuing to closely monitor the herd for any indication of stress or abnormal behavior while searching for any indication of what may have happened.
“This has been a devastating loss, and all procedures are being carefully evaluated to help ensure the prevention of any similar incidents in the future,” the team shared.
Officials said Zoo Miami has had an exceptional record of caring for giraffes, with 60 being born throughout its history. It has also provided funding through the Zoo Miami Conservation Fund to various organizations in support of giraffe conservation in the wild.