Giraffe calf dies at birth at Columbus Zoo

A giraffe calf has died during birth at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium despite the efforts of surgeons and staff.

Cami, a 6-year-old female Masai giraffe, had gone into labor at the zoo around 3 p.m. Tuesday. As Cami’s labor progressed, it became evident that the calf was presenting rear hooves first. Giraffe calves typically are born front hooves first, and it is rare for calves to survive after being born rear hooves first, according to a release from the zoo.

To try to save the mother and baby, the zoo’s animal-care team decided to enter the stall and turn off National Geographic livestream cameras at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday.

Around 8 p.m. surgeons performed a cesarean-section maneuver to extract the calf from Cami. However, the calf had serious congenital defects and was badly deformed and would not have survived even it had been born front hooves first, said Patty Peters, the zoo’s vice president of community relations.

Cesarean sections are rarely performed on giraffes, typically as a last resort, because of the risk involved in putting the mothers under anesthesia.

Although Cami’s condition is stable, her prognosis remains guarded, according to the zoo.

Cami arrived in 2013 at the Columbus Zoo from the Nashville Zoo as part of a program intended to breed more giraffes.

The death is the third of a baby giraffe at Columbus Zoo-operated facilities since September. Another giraffe calf, Ubumwe, a female, died Nov. 17 at the zoo. That calf was born to Zuri on Oct. 30, the first born at the zoo since 1999.

In September, a 2-month-old died at The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center that the Columbus Zoo operates in eastern Ohio.

Baby giraffes have a high mortality rate: An estimated 25 percent die in captivity, and 50 percent in the wild, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Before the arrival of Cami’s and Zuri’s calves, the Columbus Zoo had birthed 19 giraffes in its history.

“The loss of any animal is heartbreaking to the Columbus Zoo’s devoted animal-care and animalhealth teams, particularly two (at the zoo) whose births were as anticipated as these giraffe calves,” Tom Stalf, zoo president and CEO, said in a news release. “Despite the sad outcome, I am proud of our caring professionals for the great measures they took to try to save both Ubumwe, as well as Cami’s calf.”