Nolean the Giraffe Prepares for Giant-Sized Pedicure
A zoo in Australia has shared footage of some of the many methods used to train a four-year-old giraffe, Nolean, to present her hooves to keepers, with the goal of one day reducing her fear and nerves of a toenail trim.Preparing a four-metre tall giraffe for a pedicure is no small feat and keepers at Adelaide Zoo demonstrate the careful work needed to calm Nolean’s nerves ahead of the big day.Before the zoo can bring out the giant nail clippers, keepers have been working hard to train Nolean to present her hooves for a pedicure. Keepers put in hours of persistence and trust building, which began with getting the giraffe comfortable with walking into the training space and placing her nose on a target stick.Keepers progress in incremental steps building towards putting her hoof on a training block. Giraffes can be wary and suspicious of changes to their environment, so the keepers feed Nolean treats of carrots and celery to keep her happy.The training is part of post-operative foot care for Nolean following surgery in 2023 to reshape an overgrown hoof. Credit: The Adelaide Zoo via Storyful