DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Zoo is mourning the unexpected loss of Salix, a Rocky Mountain goat kid.

Salix died on Saturday, July 22, just a few days shy of turning 2 months old. He was born on May 30 to first-time parents Elbert and Magnolia.

The Denver Zoo said animal care specialists noticed the kid behaving abnormally on Friday. Salix was chewing repetitively and was lethargic. After assessing Salix, he immediately started a supportive treatment while the team at the zoo waited for test results to determine what was wrong.

Salix passed the next morning.

The zoo said it conducted a postmortem exam to determine Salix’s cause of death, but the initial findings were nonspecific. A variety of other disease screening tests will be done to further understand what happened to the kid.

Even at just 2 months old, the Denver Zoo said Salix captured everyone’s heart with his spunky personality. His name comes from the Latin word for “willow.”

“He was named in honor of Willow, one of our female Rocky Mountain goats who passed away at the beginning of the year. The loss of Willow was devastating for our entire zoo family, but Salix’s birth brought so much joy during a time of deep sadness and loss. It was a delight to watch Salix scale Goat Mountain and inquisitively watch guests below him, play with mom Magnolia and begin developing bonds with his care team,” the Denver Zoo said in a Facebook post.

Denver Zoo team remembers Salix the goat

While Salix’s time at the zoo was short, many members of his care team have fond memories of the kid. He certainly left quite the mark on many.

Here are some of the memories shared by Salix’s team and how they will remember this “curious little cloud”:

In our profession, loss is inevitable, but this one really stings. I am heartbroken and confused. Salix was just a baby, and it doesn’t feel fair. When you get attached to the animals you care for, it makes losing them so much harder, but there is no way I could ever not love them. I’m proud to be a part of a team and a zoo that has such high standards of animal care, and I am at peace knowing that we did everything in our power to give him the best life possible.”

Animal Care Specialist Caitlin J.

Salix came into our lives at a time when we all needed him the most and he immediately brought so much joy to each and every day. We watched as he learned to walk, nurse, and eventually scale the mountain – all under the attentive eye of his amazing mother, Magnolia. He was a beautiful floofy cloud of a baby, and it was hard to pry yourself away from watching him. He was cautious, but also curious and it felt like a huge honor when he started to take browse directly from our hands. He was loved by so many in such a short amount of time, and I feel lucky to have been part of his animal care team.”

Animal Care Specialist Christa K.

Salix was a reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things. It was an honor to watch him grow into his fun and rambunctious personality. Seeing the impact he had on guests and the amount of people that came to see him was incredible. As hard as this is for my team and I, my heart also goes out to the guests who came to love him as well. Gone too soon but will never be forgotten. I hope he is keeping Willow company up on the fluffiest of clouds.”

Animal Care Specialist Ben T.

I remember the day of Salix’s birth being one of the happiest days of my career. He was my very first zoo baby I’ve ever worked with and being able to care for such a rambunctious and curious goat brought so much joy and light to our team. We watched him grow so quickly and treasured each new experience we had the opportunity to witness. No words can begin to describe the heartbreak of this sudden loss, but I am grateful for the support and grace within our team as we grieve together. We’re doing all we can to offer his parents support, space and time as they grieve their loss as well.”

Animal Care Specialist Michaela P.

The Denver Zoo said Salix will be dearly missed by everyone.