BABY GIRAFFE FITTED WITH LEG BRACES
A baby giraffe has been given a new lease on life thanks to the help of medical professionals.
Msituni was born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on 1 February with a condition called hyperextended carpi, a condition which meant her front limb was bending the wrong way.
Because of the condition, she started to overcompensate which led to her second front limb hyperextending as well.
She weighed over 50 kilograms at birth, her size not counting in her favour.
Staff at the safari park was scared that Msituni would die if they didn’t correct the condition immediately. That’s why they called in the help of orthotics experts at the Hanger Clinic.
Ara Mirzaian was selected to help the newborn giraffe.
Mirzaian is known as a specialist in the field and has worked with Paralympians, cyclists, hikers and kayakers. This was the first time he had to work on an animal.
“It was pretty surreal when I first heard about it. Of course, all I did was go online and study giraffes for like 24/7 until we got out here,” Mirzaian told the Associated Press.
After 39 days in braces, of which 10 of them were in a custom-made brace, Msituni is now able to walk like a normal giraffe.
USA Today reports that zoos are increasingly turning to medical professionals who treat people to find solutions for ailing animals. The collaboration has been especially helpful in the field of prosthetics and orthotics.
Image credit: The National