Veterinarian earns his stripes with baby tiger surgery
The baby South China tiger undergoes a surgery on its leg at a vet clinic in Minhang.
A veterinarian clinic in Minhang District treated a baby South China tiger in early November.
The South China tiger, a China specific tiger subspecies, used to inhabit central and south China. Also named the Chinese tiger, the subspecies is extinct in the wild.
In 1989 China included the South China tiger in its state-level first-class protected animal list.
The wounded baby tiger, three months old, lived with its mother at a zoo. A zoo keeper noticed it was walking with a limp and sent it to Ringpai Pet Hospital in Minhang. The veterinarian soon diagnosed the tiger had a right humerus fracture and performed a successful surgery.
The baby tiger had a thick bone yet with a tender bone cortex, which made the operation very challenging.
The doctor said it was the first time he had performed a surgery on an endangered animal. However the operation was successful.
The vet clinic offered the treatment for free, saying they wanted to contribute to wildlife protection.
The baby tiger would recover within three months, much more quickly than a pet will normally do, according to the clinic.
