Did you know that our giraffes receive hoof trims as part of their care? In this video, Senior Keeper Joe demonstrates the process with our giraffe, Indiketta, with an assist from Keeper Seville. It’s very similar to the work farriers do with horses. According to Joe, the amount of time it takes to train this behavior can vary depending on a giraffe’s personality. For some, this can take months, for others it may take several years! Additionally, some giraffes prefer to train by themselves, whil

In honor of National Hoof Care Month, we’re sharing this #MomentOfZoo featuring Senior Keeper Joe as he trims our giraffe’s hooves in the Carter Giraffe Building. Training a behavior like this takes a tremendous amount of patience and relationship building over the course of several years. Like human fingernails, the outer part of a hoof, called the hoof wall, is made of keratin. So, just like our nails, hooves benefit from regular cleaning and trimming. It’s very similar to the work farriers do