Knox, a giraffe who delighted thousands at Jackson Zoo, dies. Officials work to find cause.

Knox, a reticulated giraffe at The Jackson Zoo, has died, according to Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.

“A necropsy report will be finalized by the end of the day to determine the cause of death of the giraffe, the city said in a press statement. “It will be performed by Veterinarian Dr. Michael Holifield with All About Animal, Inc.”

Lumumba told members of the City Council about Knox’s death in Tuesday’s meeting.

“I think that is important to let the public know that unfortunately, we did lose one of our giraffes,” Lumumba said.

City Council President Ashby Foote responded by saying, “Oh no! That’s terrible. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Knox delighted thousands of visitors to the Jackson Zoo over the course of his over seven year stay at the zoo,” the city press release states. “The zoo took possession of the 11-month-old giraffe from the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas in 2015.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of a beloved zoo animal," Lumumba said. "Knox brought joy to many, many zoo visitors over the years. Our thoughts are with our dedicated zoo staff who commit themselves to taking care of these majestic animals on a daily basis."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Knox, a giraffe at The Jackson, MS, Zoo dies