Seneca Park Zoo announced June 18 that it euthanized a newborn Masai giraffe born June 17 after animal care staff determined the calf’s rear left leg was paralyzed, preventing it from being able to stand.
It was the first birth for Kura, the zoo’s 4-year-old female Masai giraffe.
Under normal circumstances, giraffe calves get on their feet quickly after birth, the zoo said in a statement. After reviewing video footage of the calf and and monitoring it for several hours, zoo staff observed that the newborn could not stand on its own, “and we determined the calf had nerve damage causing paralysis,” zoo veterinarian Dr. Chris McKinney said in the statement.
“Because it was a nerve and not a musculoskeletal injury, there was not a way to splint the leg, and the prognosis was fatal. In addition, the calf was underweight, which may indicate there were other issues as well.”
McKinney said nerve damage can be caused by positioning in the uterus. It also can happen during birth. There is no way to confirm the cause in this case, he said.
“Giraffe births have inherent risks,” he said, “especially with first-time moms. The risk of a newborn giraffe calf not surviving is close to 50%. This can be due to birth defects, injury or disease.”
McKinney said Seneca Park Zoo knew there was a chance Kura was pregnant when she was transferred from San Diego Safari Park last fall on the recommendation of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
“She was very young to be pregnant, and with first-time giraffe pregnancies, it can be difficult to tell,” he said. “Kura was not yet comfortable with procedures like ultrasounds, so confirming a pregnancy would have been quite stressful for her. We instead used observation to determine she was likely carrying a calf.”
Very little time elapsed between when it was clear she was pregnant and the birth, which is why the pregnancy wasn’t announced, a zoo spokesperson said.
Kura is now back with the zoo’s other giraffes and being carefully monitored, zoo director Bob Lee said. So far, she is behaving normally and doing well, he said.
Seneca Park Zoo is home to four other Masai giraffes: female Iggy, 8, and males Olmsted “Olmy,” 3, JD, who will be 4 in September, and Elliot, who will be 2 in October and was transferred from San Diego with Kura.
Since launching its Masai giraffe program in 2018, the zoo has seen a number of tragic losses. In addition to Kura’s newborn calf, three other herd members have died of diseases (adult female Kipenzi and two of her male calves) and a fourth was killed in an accident (adult male Parker).
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Newborn giraffe euthanized at Seneca Park Zoo after leg paralysis
Reporting by Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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