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SALT LAKE CITY — Hogle Zoo has announced a female giraffe born to Kipenzi and Riley on Dec. 28 died Wednesday.
The calf was born underweight and shorter than normal, according to a statement from the zoo. She also had noticeable signs of not being fully developed as her hooves and osicones — the “horns” on top of a giraffe's head — were not as mature as they should have been.
Keepers and veterinary staff began to notice the giraffe was not putting on weight at a normal rate, typically 1 to 2 pounds a day, even though the calf was nursing.
"We know that mom had milk, but it's difficult to know if it just wasn't enough milk or if the calf just wasn't able to nurse well enough to sustain herself," Nancy Carpenter, the zoo’s director of animal health, said in a statement.
Despite intensive medical therapy, which included diet supplementation, vitamins, IV fluids and tube feeding, the calf died weighing 113 pounds, which is small for a 3-week-old giraffe.
"In general, giraffe babies do not need any help to thrive. This baby faced challenges from birth, and despite all of our efforts, was not able to make it. It is always hard to lose a baby," Carpenter said.
This was the third birth for Kipenzi. She had a successful birth in 2012, a female calf that was sent to the Maryland Zoo. Her first calf, born in 2010, did not survive.
Hogle Zoo currently has four giraffes — Kipenzi, Riley, Pogo and Pogo’s 1-year-old daughter Willow.
