I've found that the morning is the best time to go because the Zoo keepers are feeding and caring for their special friends, and with my trusty new camera in hand, I get to share with my ActiveRain friends things that are new or unusual for me.
Yesterday morning found me over at the new Elephant Odyssey where the elephants were getting pedicures. Elephant pedicure tools are similar to those used in human spans and salons, except perhaps a little bigger.
Elephants in the wild walk long distances, which helps keep their feet in good condition, whereas at a Zoo they generally stand around, eat, get fat, and let people pet them and take pictures of them. Standing around means that their nails grow. When a fat, long-nailed elephant takes a step on concrete, its nails can crack. Water or waste seeping into the cracks can infect the toes, and if the infection reaches bone, the elephant can get sick and die. That's why it's so important to the San Diego Zoo elephants that they have their new 7½-acre, $45 million Elephant Odyssey
They soak their feet:
They tell the elephant to put his foot in the hole, and he obediently does so:
An elephant foot looks stumpy but is actually a great piece of evolutionary development.
They proceed to give him a pedicure:
So if you find that you need help, don't be afraid to ask. Someone might even do it for free.
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