'Heartbreak' as pregnant giraffe unexpectedly dies at Sydney Zoo

An icon of Sydney Zoo has died due to complications during birth.

Nzuri the giraffe and her unborn calf passed away due to severe complications during labour on last Thursday night.

Sydney Zoo said in a statement animal care staff noticed signs of active labour in Nzuri but as the process progressed, it became apparent that the birth was not proceeding normally.

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A team of three veterinarians and two veterinary nurses immediately intervened and assisted with the delivery.

However the team found the calf was in an abnormal position with the calf's head and neck positioned in the wrong way, which made a safe delivery "impossible".

The calf died and Nzuri's condition "severely deteriorated" due to the stress and difficulty of the birth.

Sydney Zoo exotics animal care manager Tim Bennett said the deaths were "incredibly heartbreaking" for everyone involved.

"Our animal care team did everything possible to try and save both the calf and the mother Nzuri," Bennett said.

"Decisions like this are never made lightly.

"The animal's welfare is always our primary concern."

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