If you think there’s anything cuter than a baby giraffe in a pair of customized baby giraffe shoes, then you are sorely mistaken because there is NOTHING in this world that is cuter than that. Nothing, I tell you!
Hasani was born a few weeks ago and lives at the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo. Soon after his mother, Olivia (a stellar name by the way), gave birth to him, health experts at the zoo realized he had a condition called hyperextended fetlocks, which basically means that his rare feet aren’t aligned as they should be. Typically, this condition affects horses, but is also known to affect baby giraffes from time to time. It makes perfect sense, to be honest, since horses and giraffes are built pretty similarly.
Once zoo officials figured out Hasani’s condition, they got to work building custom wooden shoes that will help mend his back legs. Hasani will wear them on a trial basis. The zoo’s health team also built Hasani leg casts to further help him with the healing process.
Dr. Tim Storms, the zoo’s associate veternarian, said, “This will be better for walking outdoors on wet ground and will allow him to exercise more, which is critical to his development.”
“While we are happy with Hasani’s response so far and these new shoes, he’s not out of the woods yet,” he continued. “His condition is still guarded and we’re keeping him under close observation. We’ll continue assessing the best course of action to help him walk and grow normally, and to find a good balance between supporting his limbs and strengthening his tendons.”
Don’t worry though; Hasani is otherwise in good health! To see Hasani’s new pair of kicks, check out the video below.
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/baby-giraffe-custom-shoes/