Tiger’s eye saved in world’s first ever operation on big cat

A tiger's eye has been saved in what is believed to be the first ever operation of its type in the world on a big cat.

Ratna, a 17-year-old Sumatran tiger, lives at Shepreth Wildlife Park near Cambridge.

Staff noticed her left eye - which had previously had a cataract removed - was deteriorating and a corneal ulcer was diagnosed by a specialist eye vet, BBC News reports.

Corneal surgery, which is not uncommon on domestic cats and dogs, required "a lot more anaesthetic" on Ratna.

Surgeon Dr David Williams, from the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital at the University of Cambridge, said after two months of careful monitoring, he was "delighted to be able to sign Ratna off" as fully healed.

The tiger had cataract surgery before she and her daughter were moved to the wildlife park in early 2019 to live out their twilight years.