"Sad Turn of Events": Young Giraffe No Longer Alive at Vienna's Schönbrunn Zoo

The giraffe calf at the Schönbrunn Zoo has died. The animal's condition deteriorated sharply shortly after birth. There were problems with food intake. In addition to mother's milk, the giraffe was therefore also fed additional milk. The calf died on Friday night, the Schönbrunn Zoo announced on Instagram. "From the beginning, it was noticeably weaker than comparable giraffe calves," the post said.

Giraffe Calf Did Not Even Reach One Month of Age

All attempts by the caregivers to revive the calf, which was born in mid-November, were in vain. Initially, there were positive signs. By feeding it milk, it gained weight. "For two weeks, the animal care, veterinary, and curator team fought for the survival of the calf, which did not yet have a name. Unfortunately, it passed away last night," the zoo said.

The birth of the little giraffe had gone by the book. Apparently, however, the mother's milk was not sufficient to meet the giraffe's needs. It initially rejected replacement milk, which is why it did not gain weight at first.

Schönbrunn Zoo: "Mother Was With Him Until the End"

The "sad turn" was not foreseeable for the zoo team yesterday. The giraffe regularly drank from its mother and also accepted the additional food. "His mother was with him until the end." The body will now be pathologically examined at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

(APA/Red)

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