Death-defying tiger
Sayan the tiger is today happily playing at her home in the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster. But it could have been very different for the Amur tiger, who is one of an endangered species.** **
Sayan was having a routine root canal filling when she suffered a rare reaction and had a cardiac arrest two hours into the procedure - and was clinically dead.** **Vets at Yorkshire Wildlife Park immediately noticed 3 year-old Sayan's vital signs were deteriorating. They gave heart massage and two shots of adrenaline to bring her back to life.
Vet Alan Tevendale said: "We noticed a change two hours into the operation and found no pulse or heart beat.
"We then immediately started cardiac massage and gave a shot of intravenous adrenaline. When this didn't work we had to give another shot of adrenaline directly into the heart whilst we continued cardiac massage.
"When I checked again she had a pulse and heartbeat. Gradually, she returned to a steady rhythm. After five minutes we took her off ventilation and she managed to breathe herself.
"This is very rare and was extremely stressful - the most stressful experience of my life. We are all so relieved she is now ok"
Sayan, who weighs around 160 kilos, had been acting grumpily and keepers at YWP, which is one of a handful of wildlife parks to have an on-call animal dentist, decided to get her teeth examined in case they were causing her discomfort.
A specialist dentist was called in to examine the tiger's teeth. After a full check up he opted to perform a root canal filling to a lower canine.
"There is always a risk with anaesthetics but I have not seen this reaction in a tiger in 27 years and I have worked on hundreds of big cats," said dentist Peter Kertesz, who has a practice in Central London.
"The good thing is that we had the expertise to cope with the emergency and, although her heart stopped for seven to ten minutes, Sayan was in good hands and she has made a great recovery."
Sayan came to the park in to live in Land of the Tigers last year as part of the Amur Tiger Breeding Programme. Fewer than 400 Amur Siberian tigers are left in the wild because of habitat loss and poachers.
She had been kept in a separate but adjacent enclosure to 3 year-old male Vladimir for eight months while they got acclimatised to each other before being introduced on Valentine's Day.
Cheryl Williams, from Yorkshire Wildlife Park, said: "We are extremely grateful for the expertise and speed of the whole medical team.
"They were brilliant in bringing Sayan back to life.
"The welfare of our animals is our highest priority and I am delighted to report that Sayan is now back in the Land of The Tigers and seems much better tempered!"