In a 1st, IVRI Bareilly vets perform complex6-hour surgery on white tigress at Delhi zoo

Bareilly: A white tigress at Delhi's National Zoological Park underwent a complex orthopaedic surgical procedure after suffering fractures in both the hind limbs in its enclosure. The almost six-hour procedure was carried out by a specialist team from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly along with other experts, and it is believed to be the first such surgery performed on a tiger in Delhi zoo."The tigress, one-and-a-half-years-old, suffered bilateral tibial fractures on March 2, possibly after a fall in the enclosure," IVRI surgeon Dr Rohit Kumar told TOI on Sunday.Initial stabilisation of the fracture was carried out on March 3 at the zoo's veterinary hospital using fibreglass bandaging, a complex technique in orthopaedics used to immobilise fractured bones. "But, the tigress removed those initial bandages", the surgeon said.Given the severity of the injury, zoo authorities sent an SOS to IVRI, seeking "advanced surgical intervention". A surgical team from IVRI then reached Delhi and performed the operation on Saturday.According to an official privy to details, during the surgical procedure at the zoo complex, "the animal's right tibia was stabilised using a double plating technique while the left tibia was repaired with a rod-plate construct to ensure stronger internal fixation and proper alignment of the bone.""Both fractures occurred on the same side of hind legs, making weight-bearing and alignment particularly challenging. Large carnivores such as tigers exert significant pressure on their hind limbs, which makes fracture repair and post-surgical stabilisation more difficult than in smaller animals," the official added.Dr Kumar said that the tigress is currently under post-operative monitoring at the zoo's veterinary facility. "Vets are closely observing it's recovery. Rehabilitation and gradual weight-bearing will be crucial for successful healing. The tigress has also started responding positively post-surgery."