Brevard Zoo Masai giraffe, Floyd, dies after suffering foot fracture

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Floyd, a Masai giraffe at the Brevard Zoo, was humanely euthanized after an extensive exam for ongoing health issues, the zoo said.

Floyd, 9, – who lived in the zoo's Expedition African veldt – was known for his sweet demeanor and was beloved by his animal care team, the Brevard Zoo said in a released statement.

"He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed," Expedition Africa keeper Morgan said.

Floyd, a 9-year-old Masai giraffe at the Brevard Zoo, was humanely euthanized after receiving an extensive exam for ongoing health issues. (Source: Brevard Zoo)

What health issues did Floyd have?

What we know:

According to the Brevard Zoo, Floyd had a history of health issues and developmental delays from infancy.

Recently, Floyd was struggling with walking over the past few weeks. He had mild lameness to almost no bearing weight on his right front leg, the zoo reported.

Floyd's condition prompted a myriad of exams, including blood and urine tests, radiographs, thermography and hoof exams to identify the cause of his symptoms, but none of the tests provided a full understanding of Floyd's mobility issues.

Full-body exam found foot fracture, zoo says

The zoo's veterinary team conducted a full-body exam, which required Floyd to be placed under anesthesia, the zoo said. While placing a giraffe under anesthesia is especially risky due to its anatomy, the zoo decided to move forward with the exam, which they say was the only "way to understand how we could best help Floyd."

The exam found that Floyd had a significant fracture to his right front foot – which disrupted the tendons in that leg, Brevard Zoo said.

Floyd, a 9-year-old Masai giraffe at the Brevard Zoo, was humanely euthanized after receiving an extensive exam for ongoing health issues. (Source: Brevard Zoo)

What we don't know:

It's not known how Floyd sustained an injury to his foot. He wasn't seen jumping, falling or sustaining any injuries, the zoo said. The team believe the fracture may have been related to health issues he had in his earlier years, Brevard Zoo said.

Remembering Floyd, the Masai

Floyd was born at the Brevard Zoo in 2017 to his mom, Johari and dad, Rafiki, the zoo said.

The zoo described Floyd as being known for his voracious appetite and always being the first to try a new food enrichment item. Especially, bananas, the zoo said.

In addition to his love for food, Floyd was known as being the "drooliest boy," his exhibit keeper, Morgan, said. He also loved putting his mouth over sprinklers or misters and drinking the water as it sprayed through the air, the zoo said.

Custom shoes for Floyd

To aid in his recovery, custom polyethylene rubber "shoes" were crafted for Floyd's front hooves while he healed, the zoo said.

Despite the recovery efforts, the zoo reported that Floyd was not able to stand up after being put under anesthesia.

"Our team knew this was a risk going in, and they did everything they could to help give him the best chance of recovering well," Brevard Zoo said in a statement.

The zoo staff believes Floyd was not able to stand up due to a combination of factors, including pain from the fracture in his foot and loss of function in the tendons of that leg.