WACO, Texas — For the second time in less than a week, officials at a central Texas zoo are mourning the death of a Masai giraffe.
Zuri, a giraffe calf born on June 23, died Saturday at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, KWTX-TV reported. The calf died three days after its mother, 10-year-old Penelope, died at the facility, according to the television station.
“The Zoo began hand-rearing Zuri and transitioned her to a milk formula along with having her connect with the other female giraffe Jenny, a reticulated giraffe,” zoo officials wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. “The veterinarian and staff had been monitoring her development, but unfortunately, she passed this morning.”
A necropsy was performed to determine the animal’s cause of death, and zoo officials said an independent review will be conducted, according to KWTX.
According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, there are only 45,000 Masai giraffes remaining in the wild. The animal is native to central and southern Kenya and throughout Tanzania.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global authority on the conservation status of wild animals and plants, said that Masai giraffes are an endangered species, KXXV-TV reported. The species has had its numbers reduced by poachers and habitat fragmentation, according to the television station.
“The Cameron Park Zoo staff are deeply saddened by the loss of Zuri,” zoo officials wrote on Facebook. “They appreciate the continued support of the community in this difficult time.”