San Diego Zoo is forced to euthanize a two-day-old male giraffe calf named Masai after officials noticed it would not stand or feed
- A baby giraffe was born on January 17, but was euthanized two days later
- Zoo officials noticed it would not stand or feed and took it for medical help
- The calf did not improve and officials said it was the human thing to do
A giraffe calf born at the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday was euthanized at just two days old because its health had quickly deteriorated.
The male, named Masai, was born on January 17 to mom Zindzhi, but shortly after birth the calf was neither standing nor feeding.
He was taken to the Safari Park’s Harter Veterinary Medical Center where the wildlife health and wildlife care teams provided around-the-clock care.
‘Unfortunately, despite all efforts, his condition continued to worsen, and the team made the compassionate decision to euthanize the calf,’ the San Diego Zoo shared in a statement on Thursday.
Scroll down for video
A giraffe calf born at the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday was euthanized two days because its health had quickly deteriorated
On January 17, the park shared a lovely birth announcement on its social media accounts.
‘On what would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday, we celebrated a new life coming into the world,’ reads the posts.
‘A giraffe calf was born this morning to mom Zindzhi and we’re thrilled to be able to honor her life and legacy in this special way.’
The mother and other giraffes in the herd are being monitored closely for any unusual behavior after the calf’s passing.
The male, named Masai, was born on January 17 to mom Zindzhi, but shortly after birth the calf was neither standing nor feeding
In a comment on the Facebook post, the park said that so far, the rest of the giraffe herd is ‘doing well.’
The San Diego Zoo, however, shared some uplifting news on Friday following the birth of an endangered Sumatran orangutan.
A healthy two-week-old male was born on January 4 and has been named Kaja.
He was named after an island in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, that houses rehabilitated orangutans prior to release in the wild.
Kaja is also the first orangutan born at the San Diego Zoo in more than seven years.
Erika Kohler, interim executive director of the San Diego Zoo, said in a statement: ‘To witness the birth of such a majestic critically endangered animal is a remarkable experience and brings us hope for the future.
‘His birth increases the population by one and that is a necessary step in our ongoing efforts to gain a deeper understanding of orangutans so we can conserve the species where they live.’
The San Diego Zoo, however, shared some uplifting news on Friday following the birth of an endangered Sumatran orangutan
A healthy two-week-old male was born on January 4 and has been named Kaja. He was named after an island in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, that houses rehabilitated orangutans prior to release in the wild
Although the infant orangutan was deemed healthy, Indah experienced some complications following the birth.
She is now recovering, and will be on the zoo’s habitat area intermittently.
Both her and the infant are being monitored closely by wildlife health and wildlife care specialists.
Meg Sutherland-Smith, director of veterinary services at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said: ‘It was extremely rewarding to see the understanding and collaboration put forth by our talented team and community consultants to provide the necessary care for Indah and her infant.
‘We will continue to stay vigilant; and at the same time, remain hopeful.’