The Lehigh Valley Zoo announced today that a young giraffe named Ernie died of injuries to his neck. Ernie arrived at the Lehigh Valley Zoo and saw Murphy , his father, who had arrived earlier this week. Murphy, excited to see his son, nuzzled his face against Ernie a few times. For some unknown reason, Ernie, later in the day became aggressive toward Murphy. The zookeepers separated Ernie and Murphy into two different stalls, and decided to spend the night at the zoo on Friday to ensure that Ernie and Murphy were safe together. There being no continued show of aggression between Murphy and Ernie through the night, the keepers worked together on a slow re-introduction plan for Murphy and Ernie. On Saturday, the two spent some time together, and minimal aggression was observed. The keepers then separated the Giraffe for night two. Ernie became very aggressive during the evening and injured his neck. The zoo reached out to Giraffe experts and quickly crafted a medical plan, Ernie's injuries were so extensive that he succumbed to them today. On behalf of all the staff at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, we are having the most difficult time finding the words to convey how heart broken we are and we hope you will join us as we mourn the loss of Ernie," said Melissa Borland, President and CEO of the Zoo. "Murphy is healthy and cannot wait to meet all of you, as he will need a great deal of love and attention as he mourns the loss of his son. Please know that with the help and support of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Lehigh Valley Zoo will perform a thorough investigation into the facts and circumstances of Ernie's unfortunate passing."