Zoo Miami staff find 3-month-old giraffe calf dead with broken neck

MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — The Zoo Miami has announced the death of one of its young female giraffe calves.

The largest zoo in Florida recently announced the young giraffe's birth on December 15, 2023. The park said when Saba the giraffe was introduced into the herd for the first time, the entirety came over to welcome her. She was the 60th giraffe born in the zoo's history.

Tragically, after only three months at the park, tragedy took place overnight.

The young giraffe was found dead on Saturday morning, according to the zoo's Communications Director Ron Magill. Following a necropsy at the Zoo Animal Health Facility, it was confirmed that Saba's cause of death was a broken neck.

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The event that led to this trauma happened overnight and was not personally observed, zoo officials said. However, the zoo speculates that something startled the animal and caused it to run into a fence, resulting in the deadly injury.

No other giraffe in the herd displayed any signs of trauma, and all have since returned to their normal routines without incident, Magill said. Zoo staff said they will continue to closely monitor the herd for any indication of stress or abnormal behavior while investigating what led to this unfortunate incident.

Zoo officials said since the devastating loss, all procedures are being carefully evaluated to help ensure the prevention of any similar incidents in the future. Following the tragedy, staff can also reach out to the support system "GRAZE" for any necessary counseling.