Newborn giraffe dies at Nashville Zoo after mother accidentally steps on her

A newborn giraffe at the Nashville Zoo died Saturday after she was accidentally stepped on by her mother.

“We are devastated over the loss of Nasha’s calf,” Rick Schwartz, the zoo’s president, said in a statement.

“Our staff has worked tirelessly to make sure this calf was given the best possible care. We moved from fear of a stillborn to joy of revival to anguish,” said Schwartz.

The zoo said in a blog post that an initial necropsy showed the calf suffered neck trauma.

Additional testing will be done to check for any possible underlying causes of death, the zoo said.

During birth, the mother giraffe had required assistance from the zoo’s veterinary team after experiencing complications.

The zoo said staffers will comfort the first-time mother, who they say is doing well, in the days to come.