
(Photo courtesy Dickerson Park Zoo)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — The oldest of five juvenile giraffes at a Missouri zoo has died during a routine medical procedure.
The Springfield News-Leader reports the giraffe, named Pammy J, was born in September 2012 and had developed an overgrown hoof due to a previous injury.
Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield says in a news release staff deemed it necessary to trim the hoof. On Wednesday, Pammy J collapsed after a light dose of anesthesia and zoo staffers were unable to revive her.
A necropsy has been performed and blood and tissue samples were sent for analysis to determine whether any underlying medical conditions contributed to the animal’s death.