The Lincoln Children’s Zoo celebrates a collaboration to save the life of a baby giraffe. In February, the zoo welcomed Kay — or as they like to call her, “Special Kay”. But workers say her mom didn’t have the maternal instinct and without her milk, Kay started to become ill. The zoo decided to intervene on Kay’s fifth day of life, but they didn’t see much improvement until Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo donated giraffe plasma.”When we got that blood plasma donated from Omaha, from the Henry Doorly Zoo, that’s what saved her life. So giraffe calves historically, if they don’t get that colostrum, their chance of survival is almost zero because they’re just so susceptible to illness,” Nikki Page, lead giraffe keeper at Lincoln Children’s Zoo, said.The zoo says the plasma boosted Kay’s immune system, but she still wasn’t eating much, so they tried goat milk and that was a success. ShadowBrook Farms in Lincoln donated its supply for Kay. The zoo says she’s now thriving and putting on about two pounds per day.
The Lincoln Children’s Zoo celebrates a collaboration to save the life of a baby giraffe.
In February, the zoo welcomed Kay — or as they like to call her, “Special Kay”.
But workers say her mom didn’t have the maternal instinct and without her milk, Kay started to become ill.
The zoo decided to intervene on Kay’s fifth day of life, but they didn’t see much improvement until Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo donated giraffe plasma.
“When we got that blood plasma donated from Omaha, from the Henry Doorly Zoo, that’s what saved her life. So giraffe calves historically, if they don’t get that colostrum, their chance of survival is almost zero because they’re just so susceptible to illness,” Nikki Page, lead giraffe keeper at Lincoln Children’s Zoo, said.
The zoo says the plasma boosted Kay’s immune system, but she still wasn’t eating much, so they tried goat milk and that was a success.
ShadowBrook Farms in Lincoln donated its supply for Kay.
The zoo says she’s now thriving and putting on about two pounds per day.
