MIAMI – A cheetah at Zoo Miami is on the mend after he fractured one of his legs.
According to the zoo, Winston, a juvenile male, injured his left rear leg while running in his habitat.
Staff noticed the injury on Saturday, July 27th, and he was immediately transported to the zoo’s animal hospital to determine its severity. The leg was immobilized and a cast was put on. The following Wednesday, Winston had surgery to fix the fracture. It involved attaching two metal plates to repair and stabilize the area.
Ron Magill/Zoo Miami
On Tuesday, August 6, the cast was removed so that the care team could check on the surgical site. They determined the healing was progressing normally.
“Initial indications are that the fracture is healing well, and the staff will continue to closely monitor it for the next several weeks with regular exams until it is deemed to be fully healed,” the zoo said in a statement.
Winston was then fitted with another cast and returned to his recovery enclosure.
Zoo officials estimate the healing process will take another 6-8 weeks.
