Arthritic puma receives new home to protect it by Lincolnshire trust
Video report by Martin Fisher
A partially blind Puma with arthritis has been gifted a new home in an effort to support it in its old age.
Nigel, the puma, was moved into his new sensory enclosure at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park after he was diagnosed with an eye condition that could eventually make him completely blind.
The debilitating condition, known as Exotropia, normally leads to euthanasia for big cats, but the wildlife trust were not prepared to let this happen.
Therefore the team at the trust designed a custom-built enclosure for larger animals like Nigel that need a sensory environment.
Nigel lived alongside the Tigers at Bengal Gardens, while his new home was built and was supported as part of the rotation system with the other Big Cats.
Not only will Nigel have a new home to explore and live out a full and healthy lifestyle in, he will also have a new form of medication developed for Cats with arthritic problems such as his.
CEO Steven Nichols will be watching him closely while in the beginning stages of the medication, as well as updating followers on social media of his progress.
Steve said the £250,000 enclosure has been designed to cater for the problems that Nigel is suffering from but will also cater for any other big cats they have such as the Giant White Lions who are also showing signs of age.
There are training tables so the cats can receive treatment regularly without the worry of continually sedating them. This comes complete with weighing scales.
Zoned, underfloor heated areas on the floors give the animals choice of floor temperature rather than keepers having to decide whether the animals are warm or cool enough.
The raised bed found directly in front of the bullet-proof viewing windows are always set at 20 degrees Centigrade, meaning the likes of Nigel’s acute Arthritis can receive heat at all times while letting the visitors get a real close-up and personal experience.
The huge indoor bedroom can be split into two with the rear unit being used as medical operating theatre.