A two-year-old cheetah, who had her paw mangled in a crude snare, is to have a prosthetic leg fitted in a ground-breaking operation by animal surgeons in South Africa.
Betty Blue was operated on at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, near Johannesburg, after being rescued from the iron jaws of the trap which had clamped down on her left hind leg in the province of Mpumalanga.
”She was brought in to a vet, who thought it was so serious she should be euthanised. But we are not big on euthanasia and decided we should give it a try,” said project deputy director Vanessa Bouwer.
An expert wildlife vet, Peter Caldwell amputated two of the normally fleet-footed big cat’s toes as gangrene had already started setting in. He later amputated just over six centimetres of her foot.
The staff at De Wildt then came up with an idea that had never been attempted before on a cheetah.
”We thought, come on, we can improve her quality of life and give her extra mobility,” said Bouwer, explaining how the idea to fit a prosthetic leg to Betty came about.
”Cheetahs rely on speed to hunt, so it would mean she wouldn’t be released [into the wild], but it would give her a reason to live.”
Early next year, the animal physiotherapist who has been working with Betty and technicians would get together and ”brainstorm” to design and fit her new leg.
The cheetah has dumbfounded staff at the centre, who marvel at how calmly she lies back and accepts medical care.
On a visit to the centre on Thursday, Betty Blue was seemingly oblivious to the attendant changing the bandaging on her amputated foot, giving only a few disgruntled growls as her cast was placed back on.
”It’s hard to believe she is a wild animal,” said Marilyn Hull, the manager of the centre’s education programme, after she helped dress the cat’s wound.
Hull said she could remember only one other wild animal that had had a prosthetic leg, an elephant.
Cheetahs in Southern Africa are at great risk from snares, often set by farmers trying to protect their livestock or laid by hungry people in the hope of catching antelopes.
There are only about 1 000 cheetahs left in South Africa, while populations in neighbouring Zimbabwe have also plummeted due to traps set by desperate and poverty-stricken citizens hoping to catch food.
The spotted cat is the fastest living land animal, reaching speeds of up to 120kph. Hull said there is no known incident of a cheetah ever having killed a human being. – Sapa-AFP