A New York zoo's only adult male giraffe died when it fractured the neck after getting stuck in a support structure for the gate of its enclosure, according to a report in USA Today. The outlet carried a statement from Seneca Park Zoo in which the facility said that the six-year-old giraffe named Parker was unresponsive when the officials found the animal. Veterinary personnel responded immediately but were unable to save the majestic animal, the zoo further said in its statement.
"The possibility of this kind of event happening was unforeseen and unprecedented," zoo superintendent Steve Lacy said in the statement.
"The gate structure, installed in 2018, is a standard giraffe enclosure feature and is used in a number of accredited zoos around the country," Mr Lacy added.
Seneca zoo also posted about Parker's death on Facebook. See the post below:
Zoo officials said the giraffe's neck got stuck in the structure when it tried to free itself and it was fractured. They added that the gate will be modified to prevent this from happening again.
New York Post said that US Department of Agriculture and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have also been notified about the tragedy.
Parker arrived at Seneca Park Zoo from the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2018, the outlet further said. He was paired with female Masai giraffes Kipenzi and Iggy and was father to Olmsted, or Olmy, born to Iggy on April 29 last year.
Parker's other offspring, a male giraffe named Kipenzi, was euthanised soon after birth because of a congenital abnormality.
Seneca Zoo's veterinarian Chris McKinney told the Post that they are closely monitoring the three remaining giraffes because "any major event can certainly affect them". Parker is the second giraffe to die at the zoo in the last six months.
