NORFOLK, Va. – The Virginia Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its beloved animals.
On Monday, staff said that Jesi, one of the Zoo’s Eastern Bongos, died due to complications from a Caesarian section she received last week.
After showing signs of labor on January 2, staff saw that the 3-year-old bongo was having trouble and realized she would not be able to give birth naturally. The Zoo’s Animal Care Team decided that a C-section would be the safest option for both Jesi and her calf, Charlie.
Jesi was unable to care for Charlie after the procedure, so staff stepped in and bottle-fed the calf.
Zoo Keepers say her legacy will live on through Charlie, who is doing well and is continuing to be bottle-fed.
The Zoo says Juni, who recently gave birth to her own calf, is caring for Charlie so she can continue to socialize with the other bongos and grow up as part of the herd.
