April the Giraffe's youngest calf dies at Texas zoo
‘This condition was entirely unexpected and unpreventable’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The youngest calf of viral star April the Giraffe has died due to an “unexpected and unpreventable” condition, zoo officials have confirmed.
On Thursday, the East Texas Zoo and Gator Park announced that April’s calf, Azizi, died during a veterinary exam on Tuesday.
In March 2019, around 300,000 people tuned into the livestream of the birth of Azizi, who was April’s fifth calf born since she arrived at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, in 2015.
April became a viral star in February 2017, when at least 1.2 million people watched a livestream of her giving birth to the calf, Tajiri, which was named as a result of a name-the-baby contest.
Zoo officials said that Azizi had recently received treatment for a parasitic issue, adding that it appeared to be working.
However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, the East Texas Zoo and Gator Park wrote: “Azizi was showing signs of improvement. However, on Tuesday, Azizi was down, and passed during a veterinary examination.
“Post-mortem review revealed a twisted gut around his cranial mesenteric artery, which was ultimately the cause of his death.”
The park added: “This condition was entirely unexpected and unpreventable.”
Animal Adventure Park, which hosted April’s birth livestreams, also released a statement on Facebook, expressing sadness for Azizi’s death.
“His loss is absolutely devastating to our team, and he will be loved, missed, and cherished by the global Animal Adventure Park community.
“This news is heartbreaking, and we extend our condolences and support to the facility that Azizi called home.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments