Cami, a Masai giraffe at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Photo by Grahm S. Jones.

Sad news from the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium tonight. An exciting afternoon turned to sorrow when Cami, a 6-year-old female Masai giraffe who began to exhibit signs of labor around 3 pm today, December 4, did not have a successful delivery.

As the giraffe’s labor progressed, the calf was presenting rear hooves first, a challenge for a successful birth. The Zoo’s animal care team, as well as a large animal surgeon from The Ohio State University, attempted to manually extract the calf from Cami without success.

They then performed an emergency Cesarean section at approximately 8 pm and discovered the calf had serious congenital defects.

This news comes after another Masai giraffe Zuri whose calf, Ubumwe was born on October 30, 2018, passed away on the morning of November 17.

“The loss of any animal is heartbreaking to the Columbus Zoo’s devoted animal care and animal health teams, particularly two whose births were as anticipated as these giraffe calves’, said Columbus Zoo and Aquarium President/CEO Tom Stalf in a statement.

Cami’s condition is currently stable, her prognosis remains guarded, and she will continue to be monitored around the clock by the Zoo’s animal care experts.

For more information, visit columbuszoo.org.