Laikipia (pronounced lah-KEY-pee-yah), a 19-year-old female giraffe at The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Giraffe Center), will receive treatments under anesthesia for progressing hoof and joint issues at the end of July. To prepare, her care team is leaning on their expertise and a collaborative network of giraffe professionals.
Laikipia was born at CMZoo in 2007. As one of the older females in the herd, many CMZoo fans know her well. She’s one of the tallest females and has beautiful darker markings on her face.
At 2,000 pounds, she weighs almost as much as a bull giraffe, and her confidence matches her stature. Her care team calls her ‘sweet’ and highlights her impressive repertoire of trained behaviors, like voluntary hoof care, blood draws, and more.
“When she was younger, she was a spitfire,” Amy Schilz, Giraffe Center director, says. “She would run around and get the babies to run around with her. She has embraced her calm confidence as an older giraffe now, but she’s still very social with the herd, keepers, and guests.”
Amy remembers Laikipia, with her high energy, being a bit intimidating to train when they first started working together in 2013. Intimidating because of her size and energy, but also incredibly observant and smart.
“She was about five years old when we started our hoof care training program,” Amy says. “She was the last giraffe to start the program. We thought we would have our work cut out for us, but she quickly showed us we were wrong. Because she had watched the other giraffe train, when she walked into the training stall, she immediately put her foot on the block, curled it, and looked at us, like ‘where’s my cracker?’”
As part of the ‘golden gang’ of aging giraffe in the CMZoo herd, Laikipia chooses to spend most of her time with Azmera (19), Lakeisha (26), and Amani (26). She prefers a slower pace of life these days, but doesn’t miss an opportunity to take lettuce from guests or enjoy fresh browse (tree branches) – her favorite food.
As she and her herdmate besties age, their care team continues voluntary training with them, but awake treatments are by no means ‘the limit’ of care they’ll provide.
As a longtime participant in the Giraffe Center’s renowned voluntary hoof care training program, Laikipia has allowed her team to trim, file, and shape her hooves while she’s awake. But, she recently started showing signs that it’s uncomfortable to stand for training.
“We love Laikipia, and there are more options available for her under anesthesia,” Amy says. “We don’t want to cause her any pain or lose her trust because some of the necessary treatments could be painful while they’re happening.”
Giraffe immobilizations may seem novel to the CMZoo community because CMZoo rarely needs to anesthetize giraffe for care. Giraffe immobilizations have been associated with high mortalities, but practices have significantly improved outcomes in recent years. Still, giraffe immobilizations are not without risks, and the team has planned meticulously to minimize them.
CMZoo is a known expert in giraffe care, but leaning into the Giraffe Center’s mission to unite a diverse array of stakeholders within the giraffe community, fostering collaboration, and forging vital connections to enhance the wellbeing of giraffe everywhere, they’re calling on their peers from other organizations to help them provide the best care possible for Laikipia.
Anesthesia, immobilization, and hoof care teams from Colorado State University (CSU) Veterinary Health System, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Exotic Wildlife Veterinary Services, Zoo Hoofstock Trim Program, and Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will support CMZoo during the procedure.
The specific details about when Laikipia’s procedure will occur will not be shared in advance, for safety reasons. When the procedure is complete, CMZoo will share an update.
