The SARAH (Sikkim Anti Rabies & Animal Health) Programme
in India usually focuses its attention on cats & dogs but when we were asked for
assistance by the Himalayan Zoo veterinarian Dr Madan K.S.Shanker we were eager to help.
‘Julie’ a 5 year old leopard had been in labour for 24 hours
& hadn’t produced a cub. Dr Madan was very concerned that she had an
obstructive dytocia & asked SARAH staff & Vets Beyond Borders
veterinary volunteers to take a look.
Examining a sick leopard is not an easy task & ‘Julie’
required chemical immobilisation via a dart before we could safely handle her. Dr Madan is highly skilled in this procedure & he darted her quickly & efficiently.
Clinical examination confirmed that a cub was stuck & that the pelvic canal
was too narrow to allow the natural birthing process to be completed. Julie would
require caesarian surgery.
Quickly the team leapt into action, ‘Julie’ was anethetised,
iv fluids started, & an endotracheal tube was placed into her airway so that anaesthesia could be maintained on the gaseous anaesthetic machine.
Volunteer veterinary surgeons began operating & removed the sole cub which
was female but sadly deceased.
After surgery ‘Julie’ was wrapped in bubble wrap &
placed into her cage with blankets & hot water bottles as Sikkim
becomes quite chilly in the afternoon. After a few days she had recovered from
the experience & is back to eating several kilograms of meat per day. Soon
she will rejoin her fretting mate ‘Tinku’ & maybe next year they will
successfully increase their family.
For more information about Vet Beyond Borders & the
SARAH project in Sikkim
please see: www.vetsbeyondborders.org/vbb.projects/sikkim.project or www.fondationbrigittebardot.fr/site/fbb_a.php?Id=327&IdPere=0
