New Delhi: Born with a disorder that threatened her survival, Msituni could not stand and walk because her front legs would not bend properly. Authorities at the US zoo where she lives feared she would die if they didn’t correct the condition. The giraffe, now three months old, got a new lease of life after wildlife health and wildlife care teams corrected the abnormalities by attaching a pair of specialised giraffe-patterned orthotic braces to her front legs.
The orthotic braces were to help correct a hyperextension of the carpi, which are bones equivalent to those in the human wrist, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park said in a statement.
Msituni (pronounced see tune neee), which means “in the forest” in Swahili, was born on February 1 at the zoo safari park in Escondido.
According to the wildlife care staff, her chances of survival would have been very low without the treatment provided to her by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance team in collaboration with orthotists from Hanger Clinic.
The braces have now been removed, and her legs are now correctly positioned.
“We are so glad to have the resources and expertise to step in and provide this young calf the opportunity for a full life,” Matt Kinney, DVM, senior veterinarian at the zoo, was quoted as saying in the statement. “Without these lifesaving braces to provide support, the position of her legs would have become increasingly more painful and progressed to a point she would not have been able to overcome,” he added.
“I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment,” said Ara Mirzaian, orthotist at the Hanger Clinic, which crafted the custom orthotic braces.
Hanger Clinic provides outcomes-based orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) care across the US. The company, however, focuses on O&P care for humans.
“I’ve never worked with wildlife before—it’s one of those things that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you just have to savor the moment,” Mirzaian said.
Msituni’s Case
According to the zoo, members of the San Diego-based Hanger Clinic team consulted with wildlife care staff to develop a customised plan specific to Msituni and her case. But that was a challenging task, for a newborn Msituni stood 5 feet and 10 inches tall and was growing every day.
“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.
“Following initial device fittings, the team quickly fabricated the custom-molded carbon graphite orthotic braces by using cast moldings of the calf’s legs and fit Msituni with her new devices, complete with a giraffe pattern to provide a natural look,” the zoo statement read.
Msituni had a variety of other serious ailments too since birth. She had abnormalities in her blood, which was treated using intravenous antibiotics. To fix the irregular position of her back legs, she was given specialised hoof extenders.
The zoo claims the treatments were a success. Msituni is not on antibiotics any more. And with the braces gone, and her legs correctly positioned, she is attaining a healthy weight and height.
The wildlife care team has now introduced her to the rest of the giraffe herd in the safari park’s 60-acre East Africa savanna habitat, including another adult female Yamikani (ya me caanee), and her female calf Nuru (nu roo) who was born four days after Msituni.
“This was an important step in Msituni’s natural development,” said Kristi Burtis, the director of wildlife care at the safari park. “As her bond grows with the herd, she will be able to learn behaviors and skills important to the development of a young giraffe.”