#Azizi, the 1-1/2-year-old calf of famed April the Giraffe, has died

The offspring of social media’s favorite giraffe, April, has passed away suddenly at just 18 months old.

Staff at the East Texas Zoo and Gator Park are mourning the unexpected loss of baby Azizi on Oct. 27. A post-mortem investigation found that the calf had a twisted gut around a major abdominal artery, the zoo confirmed in a statement on Facebook.

“Azizi, who was born in March of 2019, had recently received treatment for a parasitic issue,” the zoo wrote on Wednesday. “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.”

 

The beloved giraffe was the fifth calf born to April, who lives at the Animal Adventure Park in New York. The birth of her son, Tajiri, launched April to internet fame in 2017 as the zoo drew in more than 1 million viewers to witness the livestreamed event.

Later, more than 300,000 returned to watch April give birth to Azizi last year. The mama giraffe was placed on birth control shortly afterward.

“Azizi was the most recent, and last, calf of April the Giraffe,” Adventure Park wrote on Facebook. “We know that Azizi’s passing could not have been predicted nor prevented,” the Animal Adventure Park posted on Facebook. “His loss is absolutely devastating to our team, and he will be loved, missed, and cherished by the global Animal Adventure Park community.”