Beloved giraffe dies at Houston Zoo

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Zoo announced today that an 8-year-old Masai giraffe named Neema died after a short, but aggressive illness.

"The Houston Zoo team celebrates our animal births and mourns when an animal dies. We are all devastated by the loss of Neema," said Deborah Cannon, CEO and President of the Houston Zoo. "She was a treasured member of our extended family and she will be missed by everyone."

Neema began showing signs of illness on May 14, according to the zoo. The zoo says her keepers and the zoo veterinary staff began an immediate, intensive course of medical care to identify and treat her symptoms. The group discovered that she was suffering from intestinal disease and was treated to relieve pain and resolve infection while maintaining her hydration with intravenous fluids. The group was also in close consult with a board certified, large animal surgeon from the Brazos Valley Equine Hospital who assisted in medical decisions. She succumbed to her ailment around 9pm on May 20.

"Upon initial post-mortem review, we found that Neema had a complicated internal torsion, or 'twisted gut,'" stated Dr. Joseph Flanagan, chief veterinarian for the Houston Zoo. "This is, unfortunately, an extreme and incurable condition in giraffes."

Neema has one calf, Kamili, who was born August 2014.