Internet sensation Kipenzi the baby giraffe dies in freak accident
Giraffe whose birth was watched by three million people online broke neck in a Dallas zoo

A baby giraffe, whose birth was seen by three million people online, has suffered a broken neck and died while playing with her half-brother in Dallas Zoo.
Three-month-old Kipenzi – Swahili for "loved one" – was running through the Giants of Savanna area of the zoo when the "tragic, heartbreaking accident" occurred, according to a Q&A on the zoo's website.
"When the zoo closed, Kip and big brother Kopano wanted to play more. They chased each other through the habitat and ran in big loops around it. They got to the end of the habitat and Kopano turned the right way, but Kip instead made a sharp turn into the wall. She was a calf; she played like a calf."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The zoo also denied the suggestion that the accident was caused by the size of Kipenzi's enclosure. "The habitat is not too small," it said. "Yesterday was no different than any other day since May 1, when Kipenzi first went out. She has been exploring and running in that yard for three months, and that's essential to her growth and development."
In April Kipenzi's birth became an internet sensation when, according to The Independent, "some three million people across the world watched the birth on a livestream hosted by Animal Planet, and helped the zoo raise more than $35,000 (£22,500) for giraffe conservation in Africa".
Reports in America have claimed the Zoo has had issues with animal safety before. "Federal inspectors ordered the zoo to make changes last summer to correct concerns about 'animal handling' after a staff member was hospitalised after being attacked by a lion that escaped its enclosure" an NBC report claims.
The same report recounts an incident involving an escaped chimp in 2011, but says that an inspection by the US Department of Agriculture in June this year found no violations.
The zoo's Giants of Savanna exhibit was named America's third best zoo habitat by USA Today earlier this year.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK