SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A young male cheetah named “Winston” is on the mend after successfully undergoing surgery to repair his broken leg.
Winston, who was first welcomed to Zoo Miami in August of last year, apparently sustained the injuries to his left hind leg in July while running around his enclosure. Zoo officials compared the incident to a child injuring himself while running on the playground.
Officials say no one was present when the injury occurred, but the next morning, zoo staff quickly examined the injury and took Winston to the zoo’s animal hospital, where X-rays were taken to determine the severity of the trauma to his leg.
(Courtesy of Ron Magill via Zoom Miami)
(Courtesy of Ron Magill via Zoom Miami)
The X-ray showed that the young animal’s leg required two metal plates to stabilize the fracture and heal. His leg was immobilized and put in a cast until the day of surgery.
The surgery was performed by board-certified veterinarians Dr. Natalia Andrade and Dr. Robin Holtsinger of Miami Veterinary Specialists, working with Zoo Miami veterinarian Dr. Rodney Schnellbacher and the animal health team.
The operation was successful and Winston is currently recovering in a remote location with a leg cast.
On Wednesday, Winston’s cast was removed so the animal health team could examine him. Early signs indicated that his fracture was healing well, but the entire healing process could take another six to eight weeks. After the examination, Winston was returned to his private enclosure with a new cast.
Zoo staff will continue to closely monitor and examine the leg over the next few weeks until it has fully healed.
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