Officials of Monroe County’s Seneca Park Zoo say the zoo’s male giraffe, Parker, died Sunday in an unusual accident.
The six-year-old giraffe was found unresponsive after getting its neck caught in a support structure for the gate of the giraffe enclosure. He died of a fractured neck, according to the zoo veterinarian.
A statement from Superintendent Steve Lacy said this was an unprecedented event, and the gate structure is a standard giraffe enclosure used in zoos around the nation. It was installed in 2018. No similar incidents have been reported.
Parker came to the zoo in 2018 and was paired with two females, fathering two calves, one of whom had to be euthanized due to a birth defect.