SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A juvenile male cheetah named “Winston” is on the road to recovery after successfully undergoing a surgery to repair his fractured leg.
Winston, first welcomed at Zoo Miami August of last year, apparently sustained the injuries to his rear left leg while running around in his enclosure in July. Zoo officials compared the incident to a child sustaining injury while running in the playground.
According to officials, no one was present when the injury initially occurred, however the Zoo staff quickly jumped in action the following morning, observing the injury and transporting Winston to the zoo’s animal hospital for X-rays to determine the severity of the trauma his suffered to his leg.
(Courtesy Ron Magill via Zoom Miami)
(Courtesy Ron Magill via Zoom Miami)
The X-ray would reveal the young animal’s leg would need two metal plates in order to stabilize and recover the fracture. His leg was immobilized and placed in a cast until operation day.
The surgery was performed by Board Certified veterinary surgeons, Dr. Natalia Andrade and Dr. Robin Holtsinger from Miami Veterinary Specialists, working alongside Zoo Miami Associate Veterinarian, Dr. Rodney Schnellbacher and the Animal Health team.
The surgery was successful and Winston has been recovering in a secluded area with a full leg cast.
On Wednesday, Winston’s cast was removed so the Animal Health team could perform a check up. Initial indications revealed that his fracture is healing well, but the entire healing process could take another six to eight weeks. After the exam, Winston returned to his private enclosure with a new cast.
The zoo staff will continue to closely monitor the leg and perform exams for the next several weeks until it is fully healed.
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