BATON ROUGE, La. — A beloved reticulated giraffe at the Baton Rouge Zoo died early Wednesday, zoo officials said in a statement.
Burreaux, a 20-month-old male who was named in honor of former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, had recently developed a “severe cough and overall agitation,” WBRZ reported.
Burreaux was born Dec. 26, 2019, just weeks before Burrow led LSU to a victory against Clemson in the National Championship Game, the television station reported. He got his name after a public vote was held to decide what to call the newborn giraffe.
“It is with the heaviest hearts that we let our zoo family know that our beloved Burreaux, 20-month old male reticulated giraffe, has passed away,” zoo officials tweeted. “We are beyond saddened by this sudden loss and are grieving immensely. Rest in peace, big guy.”
It is with the heaviest hearts that we let our Zoo family know that our beloved Burreaux, 20-month old male reticulated giraffe, has passed away. We are beyond saddened by this sudden loss and are grieving immensely. Rest in peace big guy. More info: https://t.co/u4W6hnbePQ. pic.twitter.com/oNMgsDcCUR
— Baton Rouge Zoo (@BatonRougeZoo) September 8, 2021
A necropsy was performed at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine by the college’s pathology team and the zoo’s veterinary staff, according to a news release. Zoo officials said the results should be available in the next 30 days, WAFB reported.
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“The zoo’s entire team adored Burreaux and is undergoing their own level of sadness over this sudden and unexpected loss,” zoo officials said in a statement.
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