Baton Rouge Zoo announces that giraffe named after Joe Burrow has died

There was some sad news to report out of the Baton Rouge Zoo earlier this week.

In 2019, a naming contest was held at the zoo for its newest baby giraffe at the time. Considering that was the year that LSU went 15-0 and won the national championship, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when the winning entry was “Burreaux,” a play off former Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow’s last name.

On Wednesday, the Baton Rouge Zoo shared that Burreaux, a 20-month-old male, has died after he “experienced a sudden onset of acute symptoms” that included a cough and “overall agitation.”

It is with the heaviest hearts that we let our Zoo family know that our beloved Burreaux, 20-month old male reticulated giraffe, has passed away. We are beyond saddened by this sudden loss and are grieving immensely. Rest in peace big guy. More info: https://t.co/u4W6hnbePQ. pic.twitter.com/oNMgsDcCUR

— Baton Rouge Zoo (@BatonRougeZoo) September 8, 2021

There had been plans for the zoo to schedule an immobilization, but Burreaux, who was born Dec. 26, 2019, died in the overnight hours early Wednesday morning before that could happen.

The zoo announced that official results of the necropsy will be available in 30 days.

“The Zoo’s entire team adored Burreaux and is undergoing their own level of sadness over this sudden and unexpected loss,” the Baton Rouge Zoo said in a statement.