The Latest from Giraffic Park

Medical science marches on, or in some cases, prances.  All of us "of a certain age" who have had knee replacements installed do well to recall that 50, 60 years ago, when your knee went bad, it was "tough luck, Charlie." They had no way to give anyone a metal knee or repair the old one, so the patient got to limp around and that was it. And braces were only the answer for some cases.

But, speaking of, there's a fellow named Ara Mirzaian who is the best around at making braces that keep an arm or leg together. He has made braces for Paralympians and for kids unfortunately dealing with scoliosis. Challenges all, but a baby giraffe?

The giraffe calf was born February 1 outside of San Diego at Escondido's Zoo Safari Park.  The poor little critter came into the world with one front leg bending the wrong way. With her mobility hampered, the park staff knew she might die if unable to nurse or walk about her habitat.

Animals of less imposing size had been fitted for braces, but this baby was born 5 feet, 10 inches tall, much like Nicole Kidman. Expert care was called for, so they called for Mr. Mirzaian, who is a prosthetics & orthotics specialist in Encinitas, CA, and he took on his first animal patient.

He told the Associated Press, "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.” And there he was, fixing Msituni, and I'll get right to the good part: she's walking the walk and talking the talk, as it were, just like the rest of the tower.

(That's the really appropriate name for a bunch of giraffes!)

I don't know why it took so long for medical professionals and veterinarians to collaborate, but they are working out all sorts of prosthetics and 

Zoos increasingly are turning to medical professionals who treat people to find solutions for ailing animals. The collaboration has been especially helpful in the field of prosthetics (artificial body parts) and orthotics (splints and braces).  Down in Tampa, FLA, the zoo met with such professionals and made a 3-D printed beak for a great hornbill bird who had lost his due to cancer.

It happens to be my belief that a kindness to animals is always repaid, so these guys have that going for them!