A giraffe has died 'suddenly' at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm with the cause of death presently unknown.
The zoo, located in North Somerset near Bristol, received a 'huge shock' and a post-mortem has been carried out, the results of which are yet to come.
A post-mortem is a procedure carried out by a coroner to determine the cause of death.
Genevieve the giraffe, was 13-years-old and the matriarch of the zoo's giraffe enclosure.
The reticulated giraffe, nicknamed Genny, had been at the zoo for ten years and had mothered four foals at the zoo in Wraxall.
Reticulated giraffe are a subspecies of giraffe which are native to the 'Horn of Africa' in places like Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya.
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm released the following statement on its Facebook page following the tragic death yesterday.
It said: "It is with the greatest sadness that we must announce the passing of Genevieve, our Giraffe who suddenly passed away yesterday.
"A full post-mortem has been carried out by specialists, the results of which will be returned shortly.
"Genny was an amazing gentle giant, who was loved by everyone. She was a brilliant mum and always had a calming influence on Giraffes and people alike.
"This has come as a huge shock to our team and our thoughts are with our incredible keepers, who have lost a true friend.
"Many of you will have met or seen Genny at some point over the last 10 years, and we’d love to celebrate her life with your memories and photos.
"Kito and Gilbert continue to be our ongoing priority as we all adapt to this change.
"Thank you for your kind thoughts, she will be missed. We are all devastated."
