Nursing baby giraffe dies after being spooked; zoo brings in grief counselors for staff

A 6-month-old giraffe died from injuries it sustained after being "unexpectedly startled by another giraffe" while it was nursing, the North Carolina Zoo announced Thursday. 

"Fenn was nursing when he became unexpectedly startled by another giraffe," the zoo said in a statement. "He bolted, colliding with a nearby gate and falling to the ground."

According to the zoo, Fenn suffered head and neck injuries from the collision and fall, and "despite receiving rapid medical intervention," died Wednesday night.

The zoo said it has brought in grief counselors to help staffers who have been emotionally affected by Fenn's death.

"Staff members, particularly the caretakers who formed a special bond with him since his birth, ask for respect and privacy during their time of grief," the zoo said.

Fenn, described as "energetic and vibrant," was born May 20 weighing 145 lbs with a height of 6 feet, the North Carolina Zoo said. He was his 14-year-old mother Leia's first calf, the zoo said. Fenn's name was chosen via an online poll in which more than 100,000 votes were cast, according to the zoo. 

Leia's birth was "textbook," the zoo wrote at the time.

"She progressed through each stage smoothly," the zoo said in a Facebook post that included video of the delivery. "The calf emerged front feet first, followed by the nose and head. The shoulders followed and soon after made its dramatic fall to the ground."

According to the zoo, the initial fall when giraffes are born helps to snap the umbilical cord and "stimulates the calf to take its first breaths."