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Cat scan: 180kg lion treated for persistent ear infection

Lion - ZSL London Zoo/PA

ZSL London Zoo/PALion - ZSL London Zoo/PA

A 180kg lion suffering from a recurring ear infection has undergone a CAT scan in London to find the cause of the problem. 

ZSL London Zoo's veterinary team put Bhanu, a 12-year-old Asiatic lion, under general anaesthetic after repeated attempts to solve the lion's troublesome left ear canal failed. 

After being anaesthetised in his den, Bhanu was transported to the mobile CAT scanner on the back of a truck, and it took six members of ZSL's team to lift the lion into the correct position on the scanner.

Lion - ZSL London Zoo/PA

Provided by The TelegraphLion - ZSL London Zoo/PA

Taina Strike, ZSL London 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.

"We were grateful to have diagnostic imaging specialist David Reese from VetCT on hand to analyse the scans in real time, who quickly informed us there was nothing serious to worry about - but that Bhanu had a very narrow left ear canal, which was more prone to blockages and infections.

"ZSL's zookeepers have worked closely with Bhanu to make sure he is completely at ease having the drops, but the naturally long length of a lion's ear canal, combined with Bhanu's being narrower than usual, meant that the treatment wasn't reaching far enough to be effective - now that we understand the issue, we can work to get Bhanu back to tip top health."

Lion - ZSL London Zoo/PA
 Provided by The TelegraphLion - ZSL London Zoo/PA

Bhanu is just like any household pet cat which are also prone to ear infections, although ear drops are the solution to the problem.

The lion now receives regular oral medication to reduce inflammation in his ear canal, anti-fungals to manage any infection and a comprehensive ear clean during his annual health check.

Telegraph reporters 

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