For more information contact:
Lindsey Sine
435-602-9702 lsine@hoglezoo.org
Giraffe Stillbirth at Hogle Zoo
SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 6) - Utah's Hogle Zoo reports the stillbirth of a giraffe calf early Monday morning, September 5. Pogo, the giraffe's mother, was expected to give birth some day this week.
A Hogle Zoo spokesperson will be available to speak with media regarding the incident from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, Sept. 6.
In the early hours of Monday morning, Hogle Zoo staff checked on the young mother at the giraffe house and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Returning again just a short time later, staff discovered that the giraffe calf had been born, but appeared to be unresponsive.
Hogle Zoo veterinary staff and a team of animal care staff arrived immediately thereafter to assess the calf, but found that the animal had been delivered stillborn. A necropsy (animal autopsy) was performed and confirmed the initial diagnosis. For further information, tissues are being examined, but it will be six to eight weeks before results of the pathology testing will be returned to the Zoo.
It was 9-year-old Pogo's first pregnancy and the father's third baby. It is known that more first time giraffe mothers lose their calves, than more experienced mothers. 50 percent more first time mothers lose their calves, as compared to experienced mothers. Hogle Zoo is pleased, however, that Pogo carried the baby to term and that the delivery did not seem to create any complications for her. This should better prepare her for the future, when the appropriate time comes, to allow her to breed again.
Both Pogo, and 8-year-old father Riley, are on exhibit in the giraffe building, along with two other giraffes. Hogle Zoo has displayed giraffes since 1969, and is proud of the history of 15 successful giraffe births over that time period.
Utah's Hogle Zoo is one of only 223 accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org.
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Hogle Zoo | 2600 Sunnyside Avenue | Salt Lake City | UT | 84108
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