Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications It's hard to believe, but just one year ago, we celebrated the birth of our very special giraffe, Hasani.  Almost immediately after his birth, congenital abnormalities were diagnosed in the tiny giraffe's rear legs. Thanks to the dedicated care by our zoo veterinary and giraffe care teams, including consultation with a Kentucky-based equine veterinarian, Hasani was successfully outfitted with a series of customized therapeutic shoes which corrected his condition over several weeks. Hasani’s story of hope and triumph reached far and wide across the country and around the world. Many of you wrote to us to empathize with the hard work from our staff and to send love to the baby giraffe. We heard from thousands of individuals whose hearts, minds and spirits were touched and inspired by this remarkable story. Today, we celebrate his first trip around the sun and just how much our love continues to grow for him. Happy Birthday, Has...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications All photos by John Loughlin, Woodland Park Zoo It's a big, wonderful world out there. Especially when seen through the eyes of a curious youngster ... Two-month-old Hasani eyeballs the green savanna. This past week was an exciting one for baby giraffe, Hasani. He is doing really well, doesn't need his therapeutic shoes anymore, and is reaching all the milestones that a healthy little (not so little) giraffe calf should reach at two months old. The two-month old giraffe gets a taste, literally, of life on the savanna. Hasani explores the savanna with his family. https://youtu.be/euu4WYTw4Ic Hasani's most recent adventures involve wandering beyond the barn and the corral area to explore the savanna. Like many babies, he is curious and seems to enjoy taking in new sights, sounds, and tastes. He is also making new friends, in the form of a group of helmeted guineafowl. Exploring new areas means making new f...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by John Loughlin/ Woodland Park Zoo A lick of approval? Hasani here with just kinesiology tape on his rear feet. A couple of weeks ago, our baby giraffe, Hasani got a new pair of custom shoes to treat congenital rear leg abnormalities. Because of significant improvements, the giraffe is now shoe-free. Hasani blends in with mom Olivia and aunt Tufani. Hasani was born on May 2 to mom Olivia. Immediately after his birth, the zoo’s animal health team noticed each rear foot was not in normal alignment. The condition, known as hyperextended fetlocks, is well documented in horses and has been reported to occur in giraffes. One day after the giraffe was born, the zoo’s animal health team applied casts on both rear legs to help stabilize his limbs. The zoo’s veterinary team consulted with a Kentucky-based equine veterinarian who specializes in foot conditions. He visited the zoo to evaluate the calf, and crafted new custom sho...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Our baby giraffe now has a name! The little giraffe will be called Hasani, which means handsome in Swahili and was also the name of the baby giraffe’s paternal grandfather. The name was chosen by zoo staff—a fitting name for our beautiful calf who has already stolen hearts across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Hello Hasani! The little calf stands tall next to mom, Olivia in the morning light of the giraffe barn. His custom-made shoes help support his legs and guide alignment. Hasani was born on May 2 to mom Olivia. Immediately after his birth, the zoo’s animal health team noticed each rear foot was not in normal alignment. The condition, known as hyperextended fetlocks, is well documented in horses and has been reported to occur in giraffes. One day after the giraffe was born, the zoo’s animal health team applied casts on both rear legs to help stabilize his limbs. A week a...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Woodland Park Zoo’s baby male giraffe has been outfitted with custom-made therapeutic shoes in the next phase of treatment of his rear leg abnormalities. The baby stands next to mom, Olivia, in the giraffe barn after the team outfitted him with new therapeutic shoes and casts. The baby was born on May 2 to mom Olivia. Hours after his birth, the zoo’s animal health team radiographed his rear legs after noticing each rear foot was not in normal alignment. “The condition is known as hyperextended fetlocks. It is well documented in horses and has been reported to occur in giraffes,” says Dr. Tim Storms, associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo. One day after the giraffe was born, the zoo’s animal health team applied casts on both rear legs to help stabilize his limbs.  After consultations of medical literature and colleagues at other zoos, the zoo’s exhibits team was called in to help. The t...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo On May 2, Olivia, gave birth to a male giraffe. Less than 12 hours after his birth, the zoo’s animal health team intervened to radiograph and diagnose abnormalities found in his rear legs.  The little giraffe already has the entire zoo rallying for him. The baby giraffe was on his feet and walking within an hour after he was born. “However, we noticed right away that each rear foot was not in normal alignment, a condition known as hyperextended fetlocks,” says Dr. Darin Collins, director of animal health at Woodland Park Zoo. “We have applied casts on both rear legs to help heal the tendons, which is the current best practice in treating this condition in newborns. Treatment will most likely span over several months. The baby is in guarded condition and we will continue to monitor him closely.” This condition is found in horses and has been reported to occur in giraffes, explains C...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo has a new baby giraffe! Olivia, 12 years old, gave birth today on May 2 at 4:56 a.m. The baby giraffe is a boy! Olivia with her newborn at just a few hours old on May 2, 2019. Mom and calf are off view in the giraffe barn to allow a cozy, quiet environment for maternal bonding and nursing. “The baby was on his feet within an hour after he was born, which is what we want to see,” says Katie Ahl, a lead keeper at Woodland Park Zoo. “The first 24 to 72 hours are critical for newborn giraffes. A healthy infant should begin nursing shortly after birth and be able to run around with its mom several hours later. Olivia is an experienced mother and she’s showing good maternal behavior for her second baby.” While the baby is standing and nursing, he’s not walking normally on his rear legs, notes Dr. Tim Storms, associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo. “This condition c...

 Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Hey soon-to-be-mama, Olivia! Photo by Jeremy Dywer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. Our very pregnant giraffe, Olivia, has been put on 24-hour birth watch after showing signs late last week of approaching labor. The birth window began mid-March and extends until the end of April. “We’re definitely seeing signs of Olivia nearing labor—we think she’ll give birth any day now,” says Katie Ahl, a lead animal keeper at Woodland Park Zoo. “She’s more restless, there are noticeable changes in her udder, and she’s extending her tail and spreading her rear legs frequently. In addition, she and Dave are showing more affectionate behavior toward one another, a telltale sign of hormonal changes occurring in the expectant mom.” A pregnant Oliva, right, next to sister Tufani, left. Photo by Jeremy Dywer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. The zoo’s animal care staff are monitoring Olivia closely at the zoo and several times throughout the night vi...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications With Lead Animal Keeper Katie Ahl Olivia and Dave on the savanna. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Have you “herd” the news? We recently announced that Olivia the giraffe is expecting her second baby this spring ! Olivia had her first baby in 2013, but this will be the first offspring between Olivia and Dave. There is a lot of excitement around a giraffe pregnancy, and a lot of hard work that goes into preparing and planning for a birth and a baby giraffe. We chatted with animal keeper (and giraffe doula) Katie Ahl to find out what to expect when you’re expecting a baby giraffe. WPZ : First off, how’s Olivia doing? Katie : Olivia is doing very well. She’s eating well and seems comfortable and relaxed. We have been planning for this pregnancy for almost 2 years. We took Olivia off birth control late in 2017 and started monitoring her cycle to see when she would be in estrus. This is a very small window of about 24 hours so...