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22:25, 15-Dec-2017
Steel plate, nails implanted in seriously injured snow leopard
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A seriously injured snow leopard is recovering in northwest China after undergoing surgery during which a 15.8-centimeter-long steel plate and 11 steel nails were implanted in its body, officials said.
The operation lasted over three hours and took place in Zadoi County in Qinghai Province on Wednesday.
The animal, which is a member of an endangered species, had suffered several fractures after a traffic accident ten days before.
It was taken to the provincial wildlife rescue and reproduction center to receive treatment for trauma and infection.
The injured snow leopard /CCTV+ Photo
The injured snow leopard /CCTV+ Photo
"Generally speaking, the surgery was successful. As there was occlusion on the medullary cavity, we opened it gradually, which is easier for us to join the fracture ends," said Bao Zi'an, a veterinarian.
It was the first fracture surgery for the snow leopard in the province.
The vet is doing surgery for the snow leopard. /CCTV+ Photo
The vet is doing surgery for the snow leopard. /CCTV+ Photo
The snow leopard is under first-class protection in China. It lives in the Himalayas in central and south Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters.
It has been spotted in China's provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan, and autonomous regions of Tibet and Xinjiang.
2078km