Successful surgery for Skeeter the giraffe

A team of veterinarians, zookeepers and surgeons operated on a 16-foot tall, 2,000-pound patient Friday at the Como Zoo.

Skeeter, a 13-year old giraffe, had a broken foot. The cause was likely an overgrown hoof, a common ailment among captive giraffes, according to the zoo.

For more than an hour, the team helped keep Skeeter breathing and stable while he was tranquilized — a difficult task since giraffes normally can't breathe when on their sides. They injected his foot with a stem cell treatment designed to help heal the fracture and watched with relief as he stood back up after the tranquilizer was reversed.

Greg Stanley • 612-673-4882