Whipsnade Zoo: Life-changing veterinary procedure performed on 16 foot giraffe under general anaesthetic

A video shows a life-changing veterinary procedure being performed on a 4.8 metre (16 feet) tall reticulated giraffe at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

Bashu, patriarch of the conservation zoo’s herd and father to youngsters Myra and Timba, was being treated for recurrent lameness, which the zoo’s vets had identified was caused by overgrown hooves.

Although he was receiving regular veterinary care - including laser treatment - foot care, and pain medication to help manage the condition - Bashu’s condition was worsening over time.

To prevent him from losing his ability to walk, expert farriers - hoof specialists - were called in to perform a ‘radical hoof trim’.

Bashu’s height and size meant he couldn't be transported to the veterinary hospital, so his keepers turned his habitat into an operating room, lining the walls with 46 hay bales of various sizes as a precaution against any injuries.

For the 90-minute long procedure to be conducted, Bashu had to be placed under a general anaesthetic - no small feat for an animal with the highest blood pressure in the animal kingdom, and a body designed to carefully manage blood flow to the ends of its long limbs and all the way up its neck to the brain.

Behind-the-scenes footage shows specialist farrier Steve Foxworth and his team from the Zoo Hoofstock Trim Programme (ZHTP) in the US, trimming Bashu’s hooves and fitting the front two with custom-made ‘shoes’, similar in look to horseshoes, which were made from urethane rubber and carefully attached with acrylic glue.

With his head propped up against a ladder to help maintain his blood pressure, Bashu was continually monitored by veterinary anaesthetists, while a special large-animal ventilator from Burtons Medical Equipment was used to help Bashu breathe throughout the procedure.

Keepers assisted with manoeuvring Bashu’s legs so his hooves were accessible, and even massaged them to keep blood circulating in the 1.1 ton animal.

Hannah Rowland, ZSL’s veterinary manager, said: “This was a hugely complex procedure, with a lot of moving parts involved, and it’s thanks to the collaboration of all the people there that we were able to do what was needed, swiftly and successfully.

“Bashu was up on his feet again within 15 minutes of us finishing the procedure, and he has been making good progress so far.

“Whilst it isn’t a miracle cure, this procedure has given Bashu the best chance at long term improvement. We will continue to monitor how he is getting on, and will resume his regular footcare sessions to keep his hooves in tip top condition.”