WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The video above is from March 2019 when Azizi was born.
Azizi, the youngest calf to the famous April the giraffe, unexpectedly died Tuesday according to the East Texas Zoo and Gator Parks Facebook page.
The zoo said Azizi had recently received treatment for a "parasitic issue." He was given treatment, which veterinarian staff said was working and showing signs of improvement.
However, the zoo said on Tuesday Azizi was down and ultimately passed away during a veterinary examination.
The veterinary staff at the East Texas Zoo and Gator Parks said during a post-mortem review Azizi had a "twisted gut around his cranial mesenteric artery, which was ultimately the cause of his death."
"Azizi will be remembered fondly and deeply missed. We appreciate your support during this difficult time," the East Texas Zoo and Gator Parks zoo said in its Facebook post.
Animal Adventure Park, where Azizi was born in March of 2019, also posted on its Facebook page about the giraffe passing.
"We know that Azizi's passing could not have been predicted nor prevented," the Facebook post reads. "His loss is absolutely devastating to our team, and he will be loved, missed, and cherished by the global Animal Adventure Park community. This news is heartbreaking, and we extend our condolences and support to the facility that Azizi called home."
April the giraffe, Azizi's mother, became famous after fans waited weeks in 2017 for her to give birth. She drew more than 232 million YouTube live views from the camera at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, N.Y. during the seven weeks before she finally gave birth to her calf, Tajiri.
In June 2019, Jordan Patch of Animal Adventure Park announced April started contraceptives, and she retired from the park's breeding program. In total, April gave birth five times, Azizi was her last calf, before being put on contraceptives.
