SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A newborn giraffe at the Safari Park in San Diego has died, two days after the calf’s health began to deteriorate, the park announced Thursday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we report the passing of a 2-day-old male Masai giraffe calf born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this week.”
The unnamed calf was born January 17, the same day Betty White would have been 100-years-old.
RELATED: San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomes baby giraffe on Betty White’s 100th birthday
White was a wildlife advocate and who died on December 31. She worked with many conservation organizations, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, to shed light on the need to conserve wildlife.
According a Facebook post by the park, wildlife care specialists noticed that the calf’s condition began to deteriorate, including difficulty standing and not nursing.
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 park explained in the Facebook post.
The calf was born to first-time mom Zindzi. Zoo officials say they’re now monitoring the giraffe’s mother and other members of the herd for “any unusual behavior.”
The Safari Park’s Facebook post described the death as a difficult loss and thanked people for their support.
