A newborn giraffe at the Nashville Zoo died Saturday after being accidentally trampled by her mother.
“We are devastated by the loss of Nasha’s calf,” Zoo President Rick Schwartz said in a statement.
“Our staff has worked tirelessly to ensure that the calf receives the best possible care. “We went from fear of the stillborn to joy of revival to anxiety,” Schwartz said.
The zoo said in a blog post that an initial autopsy showed the calf had neck trauma.
Additional tests will be done to investigate the possible underlying causes of death, the zoo said.
During the birth, the mother giraffe needed help from the zoo’s veterinary team after they had complications.
According to the zoo, staff will comfort the first mother, according to them well, in the coming days.