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month. In 2023, members of our giraffe care
team and one of our veterinarians attended
a workshop with the Zoo Hoofstock Trim
Program in Colorado and learned how to
detect hoof problems, including hooves that
need trimming, and use specialized tools
to trim them.
After two months of positive-reinforce-
ment training, each giraffe learned to
voluntarily lift and present each hoof to Above left, then clockwise:
animal care specialists to be trimmed. Moray eels, striped cleaner
Ungulate care staff are in the process wrasse, and cleaner shrimp
of training other ungulates. live at The Living Coast.

Cleaner Organisms

In the marine world, there are fascinating
examples of symbiotic, or mutually
beneficial relationships, among species that “In the Caribbean, neon gobies set up carnivorous predators, open their mouths
would normally be enemies—predator and cleaning stations on coral heads,” said to allow cleaner shrimp to pick edible
prey. “All fish have a mucous slime coat Masellis. Client fish visit cleaning stations particles off of their teeth.
that keeps them clean and free of parasites and allow the gobies to eat parasites, dead You can look for cleaner organisms at
in an ideal world,” said Mike Masellis, or diseased tissue, algae, and excess mucous The Living Coast. Besides the neon goby,
lead animal care specialist, Aquatics. off of their bodies. This benefits the client they include the striped cleaner wrasse and
However, some fish in the world’s oceans fish and the gobies enjoy a meal, he said. the fire and white-booted cleaner shrimp.
are plagued by parasites or other health Cleaner organisms are usually not eaten However, since our animals are regularly
conditions and have developed symbiotic by their clients, who seem to recognize fed and examined for parasites, you
relationships with cleaner organisms. them. For example, moray eels, which are probably won’t see the cleaners in action.

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