On Wednesday, July 22, Audrey, the baby of the giraffe, died less than 24 hours after being born.
Audrey, a 12-year-old Masai giraffe, went into labor at approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday. Just under two hours later, her calf arrived. Soon after, however, it became clear that there were complications, as the calf was struggling to stand up despite Audrey’s help and encouragement. Healthy newborn giraffes generally stand on their wobbly legs during the first hour of birth.
The assembled giraffes and Dr. Julie Barnes, the zoo’s vice president for animal health and care, intervened on behalf of the calf. The team massaged her legs, shoulders, and hips, heated her with dry towels, and leaned her against a bale of hay to use as a lever when she tried to stand up, among other things. The staff provided dedicated care throughout the night, but the next morning, the baby’s condition had not improved.
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“Immediately after delivery, the calf did not show normal behavior, appeared weak, and could not support itself,” said Dr. Barnes. “The calf exhibited several potential congenital abnormalities that the animal care team suspects contributed to the calf’s lack of responsiveness and inability to get up. Our dedicated animal care team cared for the calf and its mother, Audrey, throughout the day after birth, and despite tremendous efforts, there was no improvement in the calf’s condition. Taking into account the calf’s poor prognosis for survival, we made the decision to slaughter it. We share this news with a very heavy heart. ”
While the determinants of the calf’s underlying health problems are not yet known, “it is also possible that the calf has experienced some form of fetal distress in utero or during labor,” explained Dr. Barnes, a necropsy. (animal autopsy) will be performed at the UC Davis California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in San Bernardino. A pathology report will be received in several weeks.
Over the years, there have been many successful giraffe births, including Twiga, who was born in March 2020. Audrey, who is back with the herd and is doing fine, has had four healthy babies to date. The truth is that pregnancy and childbirth carry inherent risks, whether the animal is in the wild or under human care.
Despite the heartbreaking death of Audrey’s calf, the zoo will continue its part in conserving the Masai giraffe. Michael, the 13-year-old man who has sired all the zoo-born calves, is the most genetically important Masai in the US He has no other relatives besides his offspring, making him genetically desirable.
Michael was four years old when he arrived in Santa Barbara in 2011. Since then, he has fathered eight cubs, including Twiga. Their seven other offspring have been moved to other accredited zoos as part of a collaborative Species Survival Plan to ensure genetic diversity is maintained, allowing the population to thrive. The SSP was created in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the survival of threatened and endangered animals.
Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers Masai giraffes to be endangered, as there are only about 37,000 Masai in their natural habitats in Kenya and Tanzania. That’s a 50 percent decrease in population in the past 30 years. Africa’s general giraffe population has declined by 40 percent in the same amount of time due to habitat loss and poaching. Of the nine giraffe subspecies, the Masai is the largest, with a height of up to 17 feet and a weight of more than one ton.
“The loss of any animal is heartbreaking for our entire zoo family, and we are mourning this loss,” shared Rich Block, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo. “Despite the unfortunate result, I am proud of the zoo team for the excellent steps they took to try to save Audrey’s calf. We are grateful for the support of our community, as well as our professional conservation community, as we continue our commitment to work to protect the future of wildlife. “
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