giraffe birth at Auckland » Auckland Zoo

giraffe birth at Auckland
26-11-2007

The birth of Auicklands second calf in four months was announced last week. The young male is the second calf for female, Rukiya (from Wellington), though her first, born in May 2006, did not survive. This young male was born with a condition called contracted tendons. Maybe Jakira might lnow more about that. Apparently it is common amongst hoofed lifestock.

26-11-2007

Contracted tendons is a condition that causes the legs to fold up similar to the position assumed by hoofstock when they are lying down. One or more joints in the forelegs or hind legs may be affected. You can treat it conservatively by splinting and bandaging.

26-11-2007

Is this the same condition as sometimes just affects the feet/hooves which are curled under so the young animal can't stand up? I believe in that case it can right itself as the animal exercises/stretches the tendons. However in the wild it would obviously be lethal if the young animal can't stand/run at birth.

I believe it can be found in elephants too? Isn't the condition caused by the the way the animal was growing in the mother's womb?