Three big cats have specialist CT scans to solve medical mystery

A tiger, a cheetah and a clouded leopard have had specialist scans to investigate their mystery medical issues.

The three residents of the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent have been experiencing unexplained and persistent “mobility issues” which have so far evaded diagnosis.

On Monday, vets used specialist CT scans in a mobile unit to investigate the cause of their discomfort.

The patients were Luca, a four-year-old Amur tiger; Django, a ten-year-old mainland clouded leopard; and Mo, a four-year-old Southern African cheetah.

Each of the cats was sedated in their enclosure by a vet from the International Zoo Veterinary Group before they were moved into the mobile centre.

Luca was pictured with his paws resting out in front of him and his eyes closed as he was prepared for the high-resolution scans.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said: “Ensuring the comfort and safety of our cats is always our top priority, and bringing the mobile CT unit here allowed us to achieve that goal smoothly and efficiently.

“The crucial partnership between The Big Cat Sanctuary, our specialist vets Elliot Simpson-Brown and Valerie Freeman, and Burgess Diagnostics has been vital in taking this significant next step towards understanding and resolving the mobility issues for Luca, Django and Mo.”

Following their scans, the three were transported back to their respective habitats while still sedated, where the anaesthetic was reversed and they were monitored as they woke up.

The sanctuary says the scans will now be analysed by specialist veterinary radiographers who will report their findings in around two weeks.

“The entire day was a brilliant demonstration of collaborative animal welfare,” said Ms Smith.