A 16-foot-tall giraffe batted its long eyelashes at an Oklahoma chiropractor who traveled nearly two hours to free the animal’s jaw.
Dr. Joren Whitley, 34, owns the practice Oklahoma Chiropractic, which specializes in spinal manipulation for people and animals of all sizes, from baby kittens and bats to giraffes.
In a video uploaded to TikTok, Whitley is seen twisting and turning the giraffe’s neck before hearing an audible popping sound, causing the animal to snuggle against his head in apparent gratitude.
Dr. Joren Whitley, 34, owns the practice Oklahoma Chiropractic which specializes in spinal manipulation for people and animals of all sizes
In a video on TikTok, Whitley is seen twisting and turning the giraffe’s neck before hearing an audible popping sound
Gerry the giraffe (pictured) did not appear to be in pain, but also had minor problems in his upper and lower neck.
Whitley traveled from Oklahoma City to a ranch in Ardmore, Oklahoma to examine Gerry the giraffe after receiving an unusual call that the African mammal was not chewing properly.
“Gerry’s jaw had a great range of motion in one direction, but it didn’t have the same range of motion on the other side,” Whitley said. The Washington Post.
The giraffe did not appear to be in pain, but also had minor problems in its upper and lower neck.
Whitley stood on a platform above Gerry’s head and placed his hands on either side of the animal’s neck before pushing it back and twisting it from side to side.
The video shows Gerry turning his head from side to side after Whitley successfully cracked it, saying: “That’s going great.”
Gerry hugged Whitley out of affection after the chiropractor loosened his jaw
Gerry snuggled against Whitley’s head with a dog-like gesture of appreciation
Whitley said working on the giraffe’s neck was a dream and enjoyed cuddling up to him as if they were best friends
Gerry hugged Whitley’s head and cuddled close to him while the chiropractor scratched behind his ears
In an immediate show of emotion, Gerry nuzzled Whitley’s head and snuggled close to him as the chiropractor scratched behind his ears.
“When I made the adjustments, he rubbed his head on me like he was my best friend,” Whitley told The Post.
“Working on a giraffe’s neck is every chiropractor’s dream,” he said CNN. “It’s the longest neck in the world.”
Whitley’s post received an overwhelming response of 26.1 million views and received comments from people complaining that they were angry because a giraffe chiropractor wasn’t an option when they were in school, while another wrote: ‘You can see his relief! That warms my heart.’
Gerry is owned by Missy Nowell, a longhorn cattle rancher, who told The Post that Whitley’s efforts appeared to be a success because the giraffe no longer has problems chewing.
“I would describe it as an immediate positive response,” she said, adding that Gerry is essentially a 5,000-pound dog who just wants to be loved by everyone.
“The only time he has a problem is if you don’t pay attention to him,” Nowell added.
Whitley told Jam Press that he is constantly looking for other animals in need of his chiropractic services, but clarified that the way he treats each animal must be tailored specifically to their size and body structure.
“There are obviously safety precautions I have to take with the larger animals that I don’t have to take with a kitten,” he told Jam Press.
‘I haven’t worked on an elephant or a whale yet, but I know with my passion that this will happen in the future.
‘Every day, animals leave our office with a better quality of life.’