An 8-year-old giraffe at the Houston Zoo has died after a brief intestinal illness.
Zoo officials on Thursday announced the death of the Masai female named Neema.
“The Houston Zoo team celebrates our animal births and mourns when an animal dies. We are all devastated by the loss of Neema,” said Deborah Cannon, CEO and President of the Houston Zoo. “She was a treasured member of our extended family and she will be missed by everyone.”
Authorities say Neema began showing signs of illness on May 14. She died Wednesday night.
“Upon initial post-mortem review, we found that Neema had a complicated internal torsion, or ‘twisted gut,’” stated Dr. Joseph Flanagan, chief veterinarian for the Houston Zoo. “This is, unfortunately, an extreme and incurable condition in giraffes.”
Neema was a member of the zoo's 10-giraffe herd. She delivered a calf last August.
