Hearts are heavy at The Maryland Zoo after the death giraffe calf Julius. 

In a Saturday statement, Don Hutchinson, president and CEO of the Zoo said, “it’s hard to put our emotions into words right now.”

Julius was born June 15, 2017 to first-time mother Kesi, but representatives say he was never able to nurse properly.  Veterinarians bottle-fed Julius supplements and he received two transfusions of giraffe plasma, but to no avail. Julius still remained a critical patient at the zoo.

RELATED: Maryland Zoo: Julius to undergo major medical procedure

Zoo representatives released a statement Friday saying Julius’ health made a turn for the worst as he held on to his life through the administration of tube feeding. 

“His condition took a sharp turn downward overnight, and we had to make the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him,” said Dr. Samantha Sander, associate veterinarian at the Zoo.

A necropsy is scheduled to determine how Julius’ health deficit began.

The zoo announced it would like to thank the thousands of people from around the world who have sent positive thoughts and prayers to Julius and the staff.