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Azizi, youngest calf of April the Giraffe, dies at Texas zoo

GRAND SALINE, Texas — A calf that April the Giraffe delivered last year has died, a Texas zoo announced Wednesday.

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According to the East Texas Zoo and Gator Park, the calf, Azizi, “passed unexpectedly” Tuesday.

“Azizi, who was born in March of 2019, had recently received treatment for a parasitic issue,” the zoo wrote in a Facebook post. “The veterinary prescribed regimen of treatments appeared to be working, and Azizi was showing signs of improvement. However, on Tuesday, Azizi was down, and passed during a veterinary examination.”

Azizi had “a twisted gut around his cranial mesenteric artery, which was ultimately the cause of his death,” the zoo added.

“This condition was entirely unexpected and unpreventable,” the post continued. “Azizi will be remembered fondly and deeply missed. We appreciate your support during this difficult time.”

The East Texas Zoo and Gator Park is mourning the loss of a cherished member of our family, Azizi the Giraffe, who...

Posted by East Texas Zoo and Gator Park on Wednesday, October 28, 2020

New York’s Animal Adventure Park, which is home to Azizi’s mother, April, expressed its condolences on social media.

“We join the East Texas Zoo and Gator Park in mourning the loss of Azizi, who passed unexpectedly at their facility on Tuesday,” wrote the park, which went viral in 2017 when April was in labor with her third cub, Tajiri. “Azizi was the most recent, and last, calf of April the Giraffe. We know that Azizi’s passing could not have been predicted nor prevented. His loss is absolutely devastating to our team, and he will be loved, missed, and cherished by the global Animal Adventure Park community. This news is heartbreaking, and we extend our condolences and support to the facility that Azizi called home.”

We join the East Texas Zoo and Gator Park in mourning the loss of Azizi, who passed unexpectedly at their facility on...

Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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