Goodbye, Fenn. 🦒😭

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North Carolina Zoo Mourns Tragic Loss of Giraffe Calf | North Carolina Zoo

North Carolina Zoo mourns death of giraffe calf Fenn who passed on December 23, 2023.

A trip to the North Carolina Zoo was an outing that I always used to enjoy before moving to Northern Illinois in 2017. Even now, I casually follow the North Carolina Zoo. When they held a contest to name the new giraffe calf born earlier this year, I participated. The name that was chosen by popular vote was Fenn.

I had hoped to one day get to meet the newest addition to the giraffe herd, but sadly that will never happen. Young Fenn died after a tragic accident on Wednesday. It is just another reminder that we living creatures are never impervious to harm and that our time is finite. We are relatively fragile. Even the mighty lion can be killed or die due to a violent encounter, an accident, or an illness.

In addition to the 2021 pulmonary embolism that could have killed me (not to mention my unwise delay in seeking emergency medical treatment), I had a pretty bad fall on the job a few years ago. It happened breathtaking fast. One second I was upright and the next second I was face-down on a hard, rusty metal dock plate. Man, did I land hard! Embarrassed, I got to my feet as quickly as I could and tried to play it off as though I wasn't hurt. But I was in pain and my right arm and shoulder didn't want to work right. Both arms and shoulders took the brunt of the fall. How I avoided slamming my face off the hard , rusty metal dock plate is probably due more to good luck than any innate athleticism on my part. I managed to complete my deliveries, but I had to abandon my scheduled backhaul so that I could seek medical attention.

Fortunately, I didn't appear to have suffered any fractures or dislocations. But I sustained injuries resulting in edema, contusions, scratches, and pain. I got a tetanus shot. Sometime after that I had an MRI to check one of my elbows that continued to cause me pain more than a month later. Nothing was broken or otherwise significantly busted, but it was clear that I had taken a good wallop when I fell. There was some tearing of connective tissue and some degeneration due to aging and the wear and tear of an active lifestyle. Looking back at the fall and the relatively minor injuries that I suffered, I have to feel blessed. My injuries could have been far more serious. They could have been catastrophic, as they were for young Fenn.

I have contemplated before the fact that life can be unfairly short and can come to an end in the blink of an eye. The sad news regarding Fenn's untimely death was just a reminder of that reality. In the case of the very young it always feels more tragic. I expect that the giraffes at the North Carolina Zoo are experiencing some emotional distress over the loss. Clearly, the staff and caregivers at the North Carolina Zoo are mourning the loss and processing it. Me and countless others have mourned the loss of animal companions. Many of us have said goodbye to parents and/or spouses. And I know that there are parents that know the pain of losing a child. Death is a fact of life.

I urge you to take a moment to be thankful for the friends and loved ones in your life. Maybe tell them again that you love them. You never know when the opportunity to tell them will be gone.