When baby giraffes are born in the wild, the adorable infants immediately face a long drop to the ground and are surrounded by dangers.
After Baby Hasani was born at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, he didn’t have to worry about predators or injuries…but he would face hardships moments after he was born.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
Hasani (which means “handsome” in Swahili) was born with a rare foot condition that didn’t allow him to walk properly.
Zoo veterinarians diagnosed him with hyperextended fetlocks and knew he would need some help to develop properly and learn how to walk.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
Hasani’s condition caused his rear feet to go out of alignment. Not wanting to give up on the adorable baby, the zoo decided to fashion special shoes that would help Hasani grow.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
The prototypes were created out of wood, but eventually the team made more permanent metal shoes for him to wear.
In addition to the custom shoes, Baby Hasani was given special braces that would help correct the alignment of his legs.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
Although zoo officials weren’t sure how the little giraffe would take to the shoes, they were pleased to see that the baby giraffe loved them!
Maybe Hasani knew he was born a star, but he was happy to work at using the shoes in order to strengthen his legs.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
“While we are happy with Hasani’s response so far and these new shoes, he’s not out of the woods yet. 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,” zoo veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms said.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
Even though Hasani and his mom Olivia are staying in a private barn away from the other animals and people, they already have a fan club. One special little girl left a pack of Band Aids outside of his pen.
She also left a note that read, “Please let him know that he has young friends with big hearts rooting for him.”
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
Although he does have a special foot condition, that hasn’t stopped Hasani from quickly growing into a beautiful giraffe. He weighed 150 pounds when he was born and now weighs a whopping 180 pounds.
Hopefully, Hasani will be able to go outside soon and live like the other giraffes at the zoo.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo / Facebook
Both the public and the zoo staff are excited for Baby Hasani to be in the outdoor corral. He’s a brave little guy and everyone is desperate to meet this star in the making.
Keep up the good work, Hasani…you’ll be like the big boys before you know it!
