Tocho, one of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's 8-year-old mountain
lions, has recovered from a cruciate ligament surgery and is now enjoying his
main yard with his siblings. Tocho received a five-hour surgery on his rear
right leg the day after Christmas and has since been resting in his indoor den
while his leg healed. A follow-up exam by veterinarians confirmed the surgery
was a success.
“Once we got word that Tocho had a clean bill of health,
we couldn't wait to give him access to his main
yard,” Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper, said. “It was a
sunny day, the snow was melting and it was the perfect day to be outside. “
When Zwicker opened the den door, she expected Tocho to run
outside, but he just looked at her.
“It took him a few minutes, but he eventually poked his head
out,” Zwicker said. “Once he was outside, he began exploring and taking it all
in.”
After taking time to smell everything and use a log for a
scratching post, Tocho settled in with his two brothers, Yuma and Motega, and
sister, Kaya, for a morning nap in the sun.
“I feel so incredibly lucky to get to work with Tocho and
work at a Zoo where an accident-prone cougar can get amazing medical care,”
Zwicker said. “He’s received not one, but two complex surgeries to heal his
back right leg.”
The day after Christmas, 13 medical professionals from
Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital,
Colorado Academy of Veterinary Technology and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo performed a
five-hour surgery on Tocho to repair his cruciate ligament and replace two bone
plates that were previously used to repair a broken leg. Everyone was
optimistic and hopeful about the outcome, but only time would tell if it was a
complete success.
“During the follow-up examination, he had great range of
motion, and we were really happy with how much the leg had healed,” Dr. Liza
Dadone, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo veterinarian, said. “We don’t have any concerns
about taking him off den rest, and we are ecstatic that he can once again leap
around the outdoor exhibit.”
You can see Tocho in the Zoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit;
he is very identifiable because the fur that was shaved for surgery on his
right back leg has not fully grown in yet.
We extend a sincere thanks to the team that assisted with
Tocho’s successful surgery - from CSU, Drs. Clara Goh, Matthew Johnston, Ross
Palmer, Dana Ruehlman, two veterinary technicians and one vet-tech student.
CAVT’s surgical team included veterinarian Dr. Dave Rubenstein and a vet-tech
student. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s medical team included veterinarians Dr. Liza
Dadone and Dr. Eric Klaphake, hospital manager and veterinary technician DeeAnn
Wilfong, and veterinary technician Harley Thompson. The two bone plates were
donated by DePuy Synthes
.
.jpeg)
Posts
