Vets Beyond Borders Australia

Published 14 May 2008

Zoo veterinarian Dr Madan K.S. Shanker contacted the SARAH (Sikkim Anti Rabies & Animal Health) team in Gangtok, Sikkim & requested urgent assistance. Julie the 5 year old pregnant leopard was due to whelp and had been straining for 24 hours. A caeasarian may be necessary. On arrival we were very concerned to see the 5 year old leopard, ‘Julie’ was collapsed in her feeding pen. Her eyes were dilated & staring ahead as if dead. Weak movements of her chest where the only thing to confirm she was still alive.

An animal in this condition is a poor candidate for surgery, but in Julie’s case there was no option but to try or she would be dead due to toxaemia within 24 hours. Fully gloved and gowned Vets Beyond Borders volunteer veterinarians Dr Kathryn Stoltzfus and Dr Stacey Daley immediately commenced surgery, during the surgery a solitary leopard cub was removed. The female cub had been dead for some time and was already decomposing thus explaining the toxic state of mum. The veterinary doctors quickly finished the surgery and placed intradermal skin sutures so that later on Julie would not try to pull them out. She was allowed to recover from the anaesthetic before being carried back into her cage where blankets and hot water bottles were placed with her as Sikkim is quite chilly in the late afternoon.

Throughout the surgery her mate, 5year old male ‘Tinku’ paced up & down along the mesh fence that separated us from his cage. He was curious about what was happening to his friend. Sadly this year Julie and Tinku will remain a leopard family of two. But thanks to the efforts of Vets Beyond Borders volunteer veterinarians and the SARAH team of Dr Thinlay, Dr Diki, Dr Beth & Dupchen, Julie is still alive. Hopefully next year she will get pregnant again (actually quite a rarity for leopards in captivity) and give birth to healthy offspring.

Beth McGennisken Programme Manager