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Newborn Giraffe Calf Euthanized at Seneca Park Zoo

Incident Date:
06/18/2025
Location:
Rochester, NY - USA
Facility Name:
Seneca Park Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Other
Animal:
Giraffe
Animal disposition:
Dead

Summary:

ROCHESTER, NY – The Seneca Park Zoo just announced the death of a newborn giraffe. Zoo officials announced that Kura, a four-year-old giraffe at the Seneca Park Zoo, delivered a calf Tuesday morning. Zoo staff noted that the calf was unable to stand and discovered their left rear leg was paralyzed. The zoo decided to euthanize the calf due to the limb paralysis.

In normal circumstances, giraffes are on their feet quickly after they are born. Dr. Chris McKinney, the veterinarian at the Seneca Park Zoo, says nerve damage could have been caused by the positioning of the calf in the uterus or during the birth process. “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,” Dr. McKinney said.

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