29 Sept 2012
One of Pouakai Zoo's white bengal tigers is expected to make a full recovery after surgery yesterday.
Anila, a 5-year-old tiger, had an operation to remove her right eye after tests confirmed it had cancer in it two weeks ago.
She and her two triplet sisters have been at the zoo since April, 2010.
Zoo co-manager Fiona Carson said Anila would make a full recovery.
"It was a great success and she's already up and walking around, she looks really good," Miss Carson said.
She said samples taken from Anila's eye showed she had melanoma in her eyeball.
"Then we realised we had to take it out. The cancer would have spread and her quality of life would not have been good."
Miss Carson said Scott Hughes, surgeon, and Craig Hassell, anaesthesiologist, of the Stratford branch of the Taranaki Veterinary Centre, performed the 20-minute operation at the zoo.
Anila knew something was going on but was not fazed, she said.
"She kind of did because we had these photographers in there first taking pre-op photos," Miss Carson said.
"She was like ‘oh here come those men with the needles again'.
"She is a very laid-back relaxed tiger. She didn't get grumpy or anything."
After the operation Anila had to be kept away from her two sisters for the day but they were soon re-acquainted.
Anila will be back on display at the zoo today.