Jimmy the Giraffe’s Road to Recovery

The Iron Pony Motorcycle Adventure Show is raising money for Jimmy the Giraffe at the B Bryan Preserve!

Jimmy is a 13-year-old Nubian giraffe bull who lives in a bachelor herd of 4 bull giraffe at B Bryan Preserve. The preserve is a conservation center dedicated to the breeding, education, and conservation of African Hoofstock. Nubian giraffe are listed as critically endangered, with only ~3,000 individuals of the subspecies remaining in the wild.

Jimmy and his 3 half-brothers have all grown up together, being born and spending their first couple years of life in a large breeding herd at another AZA accredited facility. When Jimmy was a calf, one of the adult giraffe in the herd accidentally stepped hard on his small hoof and fractured one of his toe bones. This compromised hoof has unfortunately led to complications throughout Jimmy’s life. Over time, as his body reabsorbed the fractured bone, his hoof began to grow abnormally, became more prone to infection and chronic ulceration, and doesn’t give his now 3,000lb body the same support. Radiographs today show that Jimmy’s end toe bone is completely missing.

Jimmy is a very charismatic, big personality giraffe, who loves training sessions with the animal care staff. Jimmy is trained for voluntary hoof trims, which he receives close to weekly to help keep his hoof growing in the most supportive direction, and he has even worn special made shoes in the past. Jimmy is also happy to participate in hoof soaks sessions, hoof radiographs, shoulder injections for antibiotics (if needed), and blood draws to routinely check his health on his pain medications. He is also one of only a handful of giraffe in the US that voluntarily donates blood. Jimmy’s collected blood is spun down into plasma and stored at the preserve. It’s ready at any time to be overnight shipped to other facilities that has a struggling newborn giraffe calf in need of a transfusion.

A type of treatment that has been used in domestic horses, called Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field(PEMF) therapy, has recently been adapted to be used on giraffe. The equipment paddles are held at the trouble area for ~20 minutes where it sends out pulses of magnetic energy. The therapy produces anti-inflammatory and bone healing effects, as well as aids in cellular regeneration. In 2023, Jimmy was the second giraffe to try a PEMF therapy session, and the first giraffe to receive the treatment voluntarily (not under sedation). Before and after thermal images showed a decrease in heat and inflammation around his compromised hoof, and a visible increase in comfort was observed in Jimmy’s behavior by staff. The therapy is meant to be used routinely, and the PEMF unit for giraffe has now become available for purchase, costing $12,000.

B Bryan Preserve is looking for support and donations to help buy this piece of equipment, to help provide more comfort for Jimmy, so he can keep on doing what he loves!