A giraffe named Msituni, who lives at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in California, was born with leg problems, but thanks to technology and her willpower, her health has improved.
The calf was born on February 1st with hyperextension of the carpus, the bones that are the giraffe’s equivalent of the human wrist. As a result, her front legs bent the wrong way, making it difficult for her to stand and walk.
The joints in his back legs were also weak, and to complicate matters, Msituni was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed over 100 pounds at birth.
The concern was that she would not eat or move around the place properly.
Luckily, this little one was born in a place full of professionals willing to do the best for animals.
So the zoo staff – which is an international non-profit conservation organization -, together with the Hanger Clinic – which has 875 clinics that provide orthopedic and prosthetic care -, came together to give the little giraffe a quality life.
“We are so fortunate to have the resources and expertise to intervene and provide this young girl with the opportunity for a full life,” Dr. Matt Kinney, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said in a statement . “Without these life-saving devices to provide support, her leg position would have become increasingly painful and progressed to a point where she would not have been able to overcome it.”
Hanger Clinic orthopedist Ara Mirzaian also spoke out, saying he had never worked with wildlife before and that this experience was unique.
The team used molds of their legs to create custom-molded carbon graphite orthopedic devices with a giraffe pattern to look natural.
“We do this with kids all the time. They choose superheroes, or their favorite sports team, and we print it on their boosters. So why not do it with a giraffe?”
According to the Associated Press , Msituni’s other leg was fixed with a medical brace, and after 10 days of use the problem had been corrected.
The giraffe’s treatment lasted 39 days in total, after which she was taken to her mother, but was rejected. The good news is that Msituni was accepted by another giraffe and her calf, who had been born four days after Msituni.
“This was an important step in Msituni’s natural development,” said Kristi Burtis, director of wildlife care at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “As her bond with the herd grows, she will be able to learn behaviors and skills important for the development of a young giraffe.”
See some images in the video below:
A happy ending for this little giraffe!
