OPERATION ON A LION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2106, 15 April 1889, Page 3

OPERATION ON A LION

The fine lion Jnblter, it the Olifton Zoological Gardens, Bristol, *hioh Is r.eirly eleven years old, having ba«n onbbed In the gardens In tbe year 1878, was noticed recently to have a claw on the left forW-paw growing Into tbo flash of its foot, whioh was gtadually laming the animal. The lion was evidently m pain, and it was deemed sdvioable to lemove the claw. The novel operation waa performed on a Satarday morning, | when a close travelling cage was Intro ! duood Into the den, and placed against one of the sliding traps In the partition. The animal having been Induced to enter the oage, It was removed to the floor of tbe building, and another oage, but of different construction, composed solely of iron bars, p!f»oed endw&ya to tbe door of the first o»ge, and the two firmly lathed together. After Bomb little trouble tho animal was got into tbe second oage, whioh was so narrow »a not' to admit of his turning round. Heavy Inch and a-half planka were then inserted between the bars and the lion tightly wedged In. Up to this point he had sub mltted qulatly ; but on the introduction of the planka he splintered them up »s easily as though they bad been matohwood. At last be was firmly wedged In, •nd a little time waa given to him to cool down, A favorable opportunity for the operation occurred m a few minutes, his paw being partly through the bara. The head keeper, Blunsden, who waa waiting with a powerf nl par of nippers, seized the opportunity, and the offending olsw was promptly removed. The operation, whioh was oonduoted by D? Harrison, treasurer of the gardens, was absolutely necessary, ■s the claw had already grown more than half an lnoh into the foot, and would probably have killed the animal.