A tiger who was tragically rendered blind by constant camera flashing has been given a new lease of life after vets stitched up his eyelids.
Firmin was virtually blind when he arrived at La Taniere Zoo Reserve in 2019, but lived as a show animal in Spain before being rescued with his sister Pam.
Relentless exposure to camera flashes from tourists robbed him of nearly all of his vision, and his vision worsened upon his arrival in France, leading to the need for an enucleation, the removal of one eye, according to 20 Minutes. The paper reports.
“When Firmin arrived, he was already 95% blind. He was very thin,” said Patrick Violas, co-founder of the zoo and sanctuary. “It's clear that many people don't have animals to keep, even though they are used for animals.” Please take care of them. ”
The beleaguered tiger first went under the knife in 2021, but later developed complications including “an ulcer in one eye” and developing glaucoma, Patrick reported.
A second surgery is scheduled for January 15th, and veterinarian Laurent Bouhanna says the most compassionate option to prevent Firmin from suffering further is to remove the eye and stitch up the eyelid. The Mirror reported that the conclusion was that
Firmin, who had participated in photo shoots in his youth and was reportedly accustomed to going blind due to being used for recreational purposes, underwent surgery to combat the risk of infection.
In other news, UK zoos have tightened security measures after a series of break-ins at their gorilla enclosures stemming from “false information” suggesting gorillas were being left alone.
The Bristol Zoo Project has reported multiple break-ins at the now-defunct Bristol Zoo in Clifton, where intruders have entered gorilla habitat.
Fortunately, the intruders did not approach the gorillas, who will be moved to a new environment at the Bristol Zoo Project later this year, but zookeepers said such an incident would be “really distressing” for the animals. I warned you that it could happen.
Meanwhile, a shocking incident occurred at Colchester Zoo earlier this month when a rhino fatally attacked a zebra in front of visitors in a shared enclosure.
Colchester Zoo said in a statement: “Around 2pm today (January 10), an accident occurred between a rhino and a male zebra in the African mixed breed habitat, which unfortunately resulted in the death of the zebra.” Announced.
“At this time, we are dedicating resources to ensuring that the remaining animals in the habitat are settled.”
It added: “This type of incident is extremely rare and we will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days. We are devastated by this loss and appreciate your understanding and support at this time.”
