Depressed elephant may get contacts
Source: Agencies |
June 20, 2012, Wednesday
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AFTER C'sar the bull elephant lost weight, grew depressed and underwent surgery because of eye trouble, his keepers at a North Carolina zoo began to consider a pioneering move in pachyderm medicine: giving him a set of king-size contact lenses.
Officials at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and the North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine are weighing whether the risks are worth the benefits.
C'sar's caregivers said an elephant has never been fitted with corrective lenses, and they are unsure if they want C'sar to be the world's first test subject.
The 38-year-old African bull elephant weighs 5,443 kilograms and has been at the zoo since 1978.
Zookeepers first noticed his eyes were cloudy in 2010. He gradually lost 453 kilograms, became lethargic and seemed depressed. C'sar's bones were showing through his shoulders and his handlers had to pull him from public show.
"He just stood around and leaned against the walls," said senior veterinarian Ryan DeVoe. "He was just not interested in anything going on around him."
Display of dominance
After C'sar had cataract surgeries in October and May, he perked up and started regaining weight. The other day, DeVoe said, the invigorated elephant swung his tusks at him while eating a sweet potato - an encouraging display of dominance.
However, when the natural lenses from both of his eyes were removed, the animal was left farsighted.
"He might not see perfectly, but he thinks he sees well enough to be moving around," said Richard McMullen, assistant professor of veterinary ophthalmology at NC State.
"They said he's been running around, and they haven't seen him do that in quite some time."
C'sar's eyes are a bit larger than the eyes of a horse.
McMullen said he mainly applies contacts to horses, and corrective lenses for animals are almost exclusively used for dogs.
Zookeepers are weighing the unknowns of being the first to pioneer elephant contacts. They aren't certain how often the contacts would need to be changed and zoo officials also don't know what health complications might arise over time.
Officials at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and the North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine are weighing whether the risks are worth the benefits.
C'sar's caregivers said an elephant has never been fitted with corrective lenses, and they are unsure if they want C'sar to be the world's first test subject.
The 38-year-old African bull elephant weighs 5,443 kilograms and has been at the zoo since 1978.
Zookeepers first noticed his eyes were cloudy in 2010. He gradually lost 453 kilograms, became lethargic and seemed depressed. C'sar's bones were showing through his shoulders and his handlers had to pull him from public show.
"He just stood around and leaned against the walls," said senior veterinarian Ryan DeVoe. "He was just not interested in anything going on around him."
Display of dominance
After C'sar had cataract surgeries in October and May, he perked up and started regaining weight. The other day, DeVoe said, the invigorated elephant swung his tusks at him while eating a sweet potato - an encouraging display of dominance.
However, when the natural lenses from both of his eyes were removed, the animal was left farsighted.
"He might not see perfectly, but he thinks he sees well enough to be moving around," said Richard McMullen, assistant professor of veterinary ophthalmology at NC State.
"They said he's been running around, and they haven't seen him do that in quite some time."
C'sar's eyes are a bit larger than the eyes of a horse.
McMullen said he mainly applies contacts to horses, and corrective lenses for animals are almost exclusively used for dogs.
Zookeepers are weighing the unknowns of being the first to pioneer elephant contacts. They aren't certain how often the contacts would need to be changed and zoo officials also don't know what health complications might arise over time.
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