Recently, the newest residents of FELIDA– Mero, Tajmir and Gjoni – underwent medical examinations by our specialist wildlife vets. These examinations are an important part of their recovery process – after all, we first need to know if there is anything medically wrong before we can treat it. Based on blood tests, X-rays and ultrasounds, we can create a tailor-made care and treatment plan for each animal. Tigeress Samba also received a new medical check-up.

Day 1
Young lion Mero and tiger Tajmir were examined first. The examination revealed that Mero had a broken and inflamed milk tooth. The infection could have negative consequences for his adult teeth, so our vets immediately removed the infected milk tooth surgically. Apart from this minor dental procedure, Mero is fortunately in good health! He is developing well and behaving like a lion of his age: full of energy and curiosity.

Next up was Tajmir the tiger. He too was found to have an inflamed and broken tooth. To prevent further complications, the vets removed it immediately, just as they did with Mero. The X-rays also show that Tajmir has some wear and tear on his vertebrae – something we often see in older animals with a complicated past. We are keeping an eye on this and giving him medication to support him. In the caring hands of our specialised team, we are confident that Tajmir will receive all the care and support he needs.

After all the checks and tests were done, Mero and Tajmir woke up in a warm bed of straw in their heated indoor enclosure. They have both recovered quickly and are already back in their outdoor enclosures.

Day 2 
On day two, it was the turn of lion Gjoni and tigress Samba. Gjoni had lived for years in a small cage next to a restaurant. We were forced to house him in our bear sanctuary in Kosovo for a number of years so that he could receive medical care. Last summer, we were finally able to transfer him to FELIDA.

In 2024, Gjoni underwent a medical examination in Kosovo, which unfortunately revealed that he has chronic kidney disease. This is a common problem in both big cats and ordinary domestic cats. Unfortunately, the latest medical examination shows that his kidneys have deteriorated. Unfortunately, this process cannot be cured, but it can be kept stable for a long time. We are now focusing on slowing down the process so that Gjoni continues to feel well for as long as possible.

Last on the schedule was tigress Samba. Samba has been living at FELIDA since January, together with her sister Kenya. She has already undergone a medical check-up and we know that she is in fragile health. The keepers had noticed that Samba had been restless lately. Since the vets were there, we took the opportunity to check her again.

The ultrasound showed that Samba had an inflamed uterus. Fortunately, our vets were able to remove it safely and immediately, preventing further infection. After the procedure, Samba woke up well in her heated indoor enclosure. She is now recovering quietly and relaxed in her favourite hammock. She will have to stay indoors for a while until the wound has healed properly, and in the meantime, we are waiting for the lab results. We can already see that she is recovering well thanks to the loving care of the FELIDA team. Depending on the test results, we will consider whether her treatment plan needs to be adjusted in the future.