The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its giraffes, according to a press release.

The zoo’s 19-year-old female giraffe, Laikipia, died early Monday morning without human intervention, officials said.

According to the zoo, Laikipia’s cause of death has not been identified, but she had a sudden decline in her health over the past few days.

“Life was on her terms, until the very end,” giraffe manager Kacie Meffley said. “It seemed to be a peaceful passing, and her herd mates were nearby. She was a big giraffe in stature and in presence, and she was gentle. She was ‘big love’ embodied, and she’ll be deeply missed by our herd and humans alike.”

Laikipia was born at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2007 and was one of the eldest and largest giraffe in the herd, weighing around 2,000 pounds. The zoo said she was tall for a female giraffe.

Her confidence aligned with her size, and she would often push to the front of the herd during any feeding opportunity.

“She knew her power, and she didn’t get rattled by anything,” Kacie said.

Laikipia didn’t have a calf of her own, but with her calming presence, she took on the role of “nanny giraffe,” helping countless giraffes settle into the herd at the zoo.

According to the zoo team, she was also “incredibly intelligent” and had participated in the zoo’s hoof care program since she was 5 years old.

In late July, she showed signs of requiring extra support beyond the cooperative care and went under anesthesia to receive treatments for hoof and joint issues.

On Sunday, she participated in a hoof care check as a follow-up to the procedure and all signs indicated she was healing and on track with recovery, the zoo said in the release.

“She trusted us, and knew she was in control, and that really shined during training sessions with her,” said Kacie. “Laikipia was a go-to giraffe for teaching other visiting teams how to train giraffes at our workshops. She would waltz into the training area, curl her hoof right up on the block and look around like, ‘who’s up and where are the rye crackers?’”