Written by Veterinary Nurse, Akhira Singh
At the Johannesburg Zoo, our animals’ health and wellbeing are of the utmost importance to us. With over three-hundred species, which consist of two thousand animals, the veterinary team are all hands-on deck. As a member of the team, routine checks are done regularly throughout the year. On April 29, 2021 we did a routine health check on our African Leopard, Forest. He is approximately 8 years old and has been with us since 2014.
Leopards are mostly solitary animals and very seldom overlap territories with other leopards. They easily adapt to their environments, as they have one of the largest habitats, when it comes to ‘big cats’. They weigh between 30 to 90kg (with males being generally larger) and have a life span of between 12 to 17 years.
What does a routine health check entail?
- For the safety of our team, the keepers and the animal itself, they are usually sedated prior to them being handled
- Animals are then transported safely to our hospital, where most of our work is done. Some checks are also done on exhibit in the animal’s night room, depending on the nature of the work that needs to be done.
- Routine health checks include doing radiographs, a full blood profile and a general physical on the animal. These are all done so that we can pick up any abnormalities and treat them accordingly.
- Once all our tests have been completed, animals are safely transported back to their enclosure, where they can peacefully wake up without getting hurt in any way.
Once the leopard’s health check was complete, his blood results, physical exam and radiographs were all clear of any abnormalities.
Next time you find yourself at the Zoo make sure to stop by and visit this majestic animal.
