Dama Gazelle Dies at Smithsonian's National Zoo

Smithsonian’s National Zoo staff humanely euthanized Asha, a 1-year-old Dama gazelle, Dec. 22 after she suffered a neck injury by running into a fence in an off-exhibit area. Veterinarians and keepers immediately responded to the situation. Unfortunately, due to Asha’s poor prognosis and rapidly declining condition, animal care staff made the humane decision to euthanize her.

Keepers did not witness anything extraordinary, so they are unsure about what caused Asha to collide with the fence, as the other gazelles were calm and behaving normally at the time. Asha was born Sept. 16, 2017. Her sibling, Amaya, was born Oct. 9, 2018, and remains on exhibit at Cheetah Conservation Station.