An elephant called Gay from Devon's Paignton Zoo Environmental Park will soon discover all the joys of brand-new shoes.

Gay suffered from foot abscesses and needed the shoes for protection. The zoo's head veterinarian, Ghislaine Sayers explains: "The boots will help keep the feet clean between baths and allow us to put on dressings that will help to remove dead tissue, decrease infection and promote healing."

Elephants can get sore feet for a variety of reasons including age, arthritis, lack of exercise or even a genetic predisposition to foot disease.

In addition to the boots, Gay's treatment involves regular pedicures and antibiotic foot baths.

In order to fit Gay with boots, keepers had to draw around each foot to provide the Australian company making the boots with a pattern to work from.

Each boot cost £250 and is 40cm in diameter.