A lioness, rescued from Tiger King Joe Exotic’s zoo in 2018, underwent surgery after suffering from years of inbreeding.
Chobe was rescued from his Oklahoma facility in 2018 and now lives at the WildCat Ridge Sanctuary in Oregon.
Staff noticed the big cat wasn’t eating and a scan revealed the feline had a distended uterus caused by an infection.
The five-year-old lioness had her uterus and ovaries removed by doctors at Oregon State University’s veterinary hospital on Monday.
Experts described the procedure as similar to spaying a domestic cat but on a much larger scale.
A distended uterus or pyometra is most commonly seen in older cats that have been in heat in the previous four weeks and can lead to complications due to the buildup of toxins in the bloodstream, which impairs the kidneys’ ability to retain fluid.
Impressive photos depict veterinarians performing surgery on the massive creature, which is now in recovery.
Dr. Katy Townsend, an associate professor of small animal surgery at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine who operated on Chobe, explained, “Essentially, it’s just like performing a cat spay, but on a larger scale.”
Chobe, a feline residing at the WildCat Ridge Sanctuary in Scotts Mills, Oregon, underwent a CT scan at the Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Veterinarians discovered a distended uterus on Monday.
“The surgery went really well. We were able to cleanly remove everything in a short amount of time. We expect her to make a full recovery from this,” said a spokesperson from the sanctuary.
Chobe was rescued in 2018 and now calls the sanctuary home.
According to Ian Ford, the sanctuary’s executive assistant, Chobe’s genetic makeup is a result of inbreeding at Joe Exotic’s facility, making her a ‘mismatch of genetics.’
He described her as being a bit stocky in appearance, ‘like a giant guinea pig,’ but a very sweet and expressive animal.
He eagerly anticipated seeing the lioness return to normal and added, ‘Just having her roam around in the grass with her buddy Kariba and getting her paws up in the air and just enjoying herself.
‘We’re hoping that this surgery is going to ensure that everything’s okay for her, and she can get back to just living her life in peace and happiness, which is the only thing that we want for all of our residents.’
