Endangered lion with persistent ear problems set to roar back following CAT scan
Vets from London Zoo have now created a long-term treatment plan for 12-year-old Asiatic lion Bhanu.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An endangered lion which has suffered from persistent earache looks set to roar back into action following a CAT scan at London Zoo.
Twelve-year-old Asiatic lion Bhanu has had frequent problems with his left ear canal and attempts to resolve the issue, including specialist ear examinations and cleaning, have failed.
Hope is on the horizon, however, as vets from London Zoo have formulated a treatment plan after hiring a CAT scanner for the first time to “find out what was causing the problem and urgently rule out any worst-case scenarios”.
Bhanu is an important member of the European-wide breeding programme ... so we arranged the full VIP treatment
Taina Strike, the zoo’s senior veterinary officer, said: “We wanted to devise the best long-term treatment plan for Bhanu, but we first had to find out what was causing the problem and urgently rule out any worst-case scenarios, such as a tumour or a deep-seated infection, which would show up on a CAT scan immediately.
“Bhanu is an important member of the European-wide breeding programme for endangered Asiatic lions and deserves the very best care, so we arranged the full VIP treatment, bringing a CAT scanner to a big cat for the first time, so we could see deeper into his ear without him needing to travel.”
Australian diagnostic imaging specialist David Reese was present via video link and quickly identified the problem – Bhanu has a narrow left ear canal, which is more prone to blockages and infections.
The team have now created a long-term treatment plan for his care, in which he will receive oral medication to reduce inflammation in his ear canal and anti-fungals to deal with infection.
The 28-stone (180kg) lion was anaesthetised before being lifted onto the scanner by six team members.