This Nagpur Tiger Could Become The First Big Cat In The World To Be Fitted With An Artificial Limb

Sahebrao, a 9-year-old tiger at the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur could soon become the first big cat in the world to have an artificial limb.?

If everything goes right, the tiger who had lost its paws could be fitted with a prosthesis by next month.

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On Wednesday, he underwent a 40-minute surgery ahead of fitting the prosthesis.?

The surgical process was carried out under the supervision of an expert team comprising of Dr. Shirish Upadhye, the director of Wildlife Research & Training, Goutam Bhojne, and Dr. Vinod Dhoot, Dr. Peter Giannoudis from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom and Nagpur based Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sushrut Babhulkar, who has adopted Sahebrao.

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According to the doctors, Sahebrao was operated for neuroma and the prosthesis can be fitted after 6 weeks.

Sahebrao lost his paw after he was accidentally caught in a trap set by poachers in 2012.??

Since then the tiger who was rehabilitated in the Gorewada Rescue Centre was limping and living in pain.

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According to the doctors in recent months the pain had become so unbearable that Sahebrao could not even walk inside his enclosure.

Earlier this year it was Dr. Bahulkar who came up with the idea of fitting an artificial limb.?

“The surgery will give 99% relief from pain to the tiger, and fitting artificial limb is the next step,” he said.