Oops! There’s a leopard in the ward

IT’S not every day that you see a leopard being wheeled through the emergency doors at Windhoek’s MediClinic.

But last Friday, Ulf, a six-year old leopard from the Harnas Wildlife Foundation, had to undergo an MRI scan at the hospital. “The [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] scan is not usually done on animals,” said Ulf Tubbesing of the Rhino Park Veterinary Clinic.The only other time one of these scans was conducted on a leopard, National Geographic came to Windhoek to film a documentary about the whole process.Tubbesing’s patient and namesake was brought to his clinic a day earlier for a check-up and a general anaesthetic before he was delivered to hospital.”They have a lot of adrenaline running through their bodies,” explained Tubbesing, “that’s why they also need much more anaesthetic than humans do”.On Friday, once in the laboratory and ready for scanning, the leopard had to receive extra tranquillisers to ensure he did not run wild in the hospital.The leopard lost his mother shortly after his birth, a few years back, when there was an anthrax outbreak at the Harnas Wildlife Foundation.The outbreak claimed four cheetahs, two leopards and three lions.Tubbesing was at the foundation, monitoring the situation.Ulf was named after him at that time.A couple living in Germany “adopted” Ulf and cover most of his medical expenses.”Otherwise this MRI scan would cost us about N$5 000,” said Marlice van Vuuren, Ulf’s caretaker at Harnas.For the past three years Ulf, his sister Bulaya and another two leopards have lived in a camp with little human contact.They are on a rehabilitation programme aimed at teaching them the ways of the wild all over again.They are, however, fed at certain times of the day.That is how Van Vuuren and her brother Schalk realised that Ulf was not well.When he didn’t come to the feeding area for three days, they searched for him and found Ulf limping.After Friday’s MRI scan and a subsequent CT scan, both the vet, Tubbesing, and the radiographer, Marilene du Plessis, were not sure what was wrong with Ulf.Another brain scan was conducted, and the source of the young leopard’s pain turned out to be a nerve on one of his vertebrae.”Now we’re not sure if it’s a tumour, an infection or an injury.Ulf is going to stay at the Rhino Park clinic for six weeks under observation.There, they’ll test his blood and find out what exactly is wrong with the little guy,” said Van Vuuren.A week later, after his condition initially deteriorated, Ulf is starting to look a bit better.”He was completely paralysed at first, but now he has started using his legs again,” he told The Namibian yesterday.”He is on cortisone and vitamin supplementation and we will continue to monitor the situation,” Van Vuuren said.”Ulf is not looking too bad.I actually feel very positive about the whole thing”.”The [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] scan is not usually done on animals,” said Ulf Tubbesing of the Rhino Park Veterinary Clinic. The only other time one of these scans was conducted on a leopard, National Geographic came to Windhoek to film a documentary about the whole process. Tubbesing’s patient and namesake was brought to his clinic a day earlier for a check-up and a general anaesthetic before he was delivered to hospital. “They have a lot of adrenaline running through their bodies,” explained Tubbesing, “that’s why they also need much more anaesthetic than humans do”. On Friday, once in the laboratory and ready for scanning, the leopard had to receive extra tranquillisers to ensure he did not run wild in the hospital. The leopard lost his mother shortly after his birth, a few years back, when there was an anthrax outbreak at the Harnas Wildlife Foundation. The outbreak claimed four cheetahs, two leopards and three lions. Tubbesing was at the foundation, monitoring the situation. Ulf was named after him at that time. A couple living in Germany “adopted” Ulf and cover most of his medical expenses. “Otherwise this MRI scan would cost us about N$5 000,” said Marlice van Vuuren, Ulf’s caretaker at Harnas. For the past three years Ulf, his sister Bulaya and another two leopards have lived in a camp with little human contact. They are on a rehabilitation programme aimed at teaching them the ways of the wild all over again. They are, however, fed at certain times of the day. That is how Van Vuuren and her brother Schalk realised that Ulf was not well. When he didn’t come to the feeding area for three days, they searched for him and found Ulf limping. After Friday’s MRI scan and a subsequent CT scan, both the vet, Tubbesing, and the radiographer, Marilene du Plessis, were not sure what was wrong with Ulf. Another brain scan was conducted, and the source of the young leopard’s pain turned out to be a nerve on one of his vertebrae. “Now we’re not sure if it’s a tumour, an infection or an injury. Ulf is going to stay at the Rhino Park clinic for six weeks under observation. There, they’ll test his blood and find out what exactly is wrong with the little guy,” said Van Vuuren. A week later, after his condition initially deteriorated, Ulf is starting to look a bit better. “He was completely paralysed at first, but now he has started using his legs again,” he told The Namibian yesterday. “He is on cortisone and vitamin supplementation and we will continue to monitor the situation,” Van Vuuren said. “Ulf is not looking too bad. I actually feel very positive about the whole thing”.