SEATTLE — Woodland Park Zoo’s animal care staff has a very tall order to carry out.
The zoo’s 18-foot-tall, male giraffe, Dave, has a penetrating hole in the bottom of his right front toe that needs fixing.
According to the staff, it is affecting the bone.
Steve Foxworth, a farrier and founder of the Colorado-based Zoo Hoofstock Trim Program, will provide hands-on consulting and treatment of Dave’s foot condition.
For today’s procedure, Dave will be fully anesthetized and lying on his side.
“Because of the attentive daily care and observations by the giraffe keepers, we’re able to promptly diagnose his problem which allows us to medically intervene and treat the issue. Giraffe anesthesia presents risks, but we have significant experience within the animal health and animal care teams at Woodland Park Zoo and a solid plan for this procedure,” said veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms, Director of Animal Health at Woodland Park Zoo.
While he is under, the giraffe’s overgrown feet will also be trimmed.
Footcare is very important for a giraffe’s overall well-being. As a part of the advanced and evolving care for all its animals at the zoo, the giraffe care team follows a routine footcare program to keep the herd healthy overall, including training the giraffe to participate in their own hoof and medical care.
In addition to Dave, the zoo has two female giraffes in its herd: 19-year-old Olivia and her sister, 17-year-old Tufani.
“As the only male giraffe at Woodland Park Zoo and father of the last two giraffe born at the zoo, Dave has earned a legion of dedicated fans of all ages. We hope our zoo family and community will join us in wishing our statuesque giraffe the best for this procedure,” said Martin Ramirez, Curator of Mammalogy at Woodland Park Zoo.
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