Rare antelope dies at Tennessee zoo after choking on cap of discarded baby food pouch

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Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, has announced that a rare antelope has died after choking on part of a food pouch that had been left behind by a visitor.

The tragedy occurred when Lief, a 7-year-old male sitatunga antelope, choked on the cap of the squeezable snack pouch, a Brights Zoo official confirmed to Fox News Digital. A veterinarian was reportedly unable to revive the animal.

"Some ask why we don’t allow squeezable pouches into the zoo. The reason is simple - the packaging is dangerous to our animals," zoo officials shared in a Facebook post on June 8, announcing the animal's death.

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To animals, the colorful lid could look like food, the post said.

A 7-year-old male sitatunga antelope named Lief (pictured here) died after choking on part of a squeezable snack pouch. (Brights Zoo)

On its website, Brights Zoo's rules say it does not allow "squeezable baby food pouches into the zoo due to animal safety concerns."

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"This is what forced us to do bag searches but yet some people find ways to sneak these in," zoo officials wrote on Facebook. "Guests are able to go to their car or the picnic areas in our parking lot as many times as they wish and re-enter the zoo."

Lief (pictured left) died after choking on part of the baby food pouch at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, zoo officials announced on June 8. (Brights Zoo; Maria Argutinskaya/iStock)

Lief has been at Brights Zoo since he was 1 year old and "still had a lot of life to live," zoo officials wrote in the comments section of the Facebook post.

Facebook users also commented on the announcement of Lief's death.

"It’s a sad thing when you decide that breaking the rules and having a squeezable pouch is more important than the life of an animal," one woman wrote.

"People need to understand that rules are there for a reason," another person said.

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"Seems like the biggest problem is trash getting in animal enclosures. I mean I realize these specific items are MOST harmful but any trash that is not food for them that gets in with the animals can become dangerous," one user commented.

Sitatungas are rare, swamp-dwelling animals. Here, sitatungas are seen sunbathing at Madrid zoo, where high winter temperatures reached up to 19º degrees during the afternoon hours. (John MIlner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Sitatungas are rare, swamp-dwelling antelopes distinguished by their long, splayed hooves, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

The lifespan of the sitatunga is around 22 years "in human care, but unknown in the wild," according to Smithsonian's National Zoo. The species is native to Africa.

Lief was born on July 30, 2016, and died on June 8, 2024, according to the zoo's Facebook post.

Fox News Digital reached out to Brights Zoo for additional comment.