Taizhou Aikang Animal Hospital's doctors perform an operation on a lion. [Photo/the official news website of Taizhou]

An unusual patient arrived at Taizhou Aikang Animal Hospital in East China's Zhejiang province on Feb 1 — a one-year-old African lion named Tutu, from Taizhou Bay Wildlife Park. This marked the first time the park had sent a large animal for surgery to an outside hospital, and for Aikang Animal Hospital, it was the first time the hospital had operated on a lion.

Tutu and her brother, born on Jan 7, 2025, were abandoned by their mother after birth due to weakness. Fortunately, a dog adopted the two lion cubs. Tutu, along with her sibling, grew up in this unusual family and has become an energetic lion weighing over 70 kilograms.

Several months ago, caretakers noticed a small bump on Tutu's right front elbow, which was later diagnosed as an elbow synovial cyst, a common joint issue in large felines. Although the cyst was not causing pain or affecting Tutu's activity, it continued to grow due to the lion's constant movement.

After more than a month of close observation, the medical team at Taizhou Bay Wildlife Park decided to consult Aikang Animal Hospital. The team determined that surgery was necessary as the cyst kept enlarging and posed a risk of rupture.

The surgery lasted about 1 hour and 40 minutes and was successful. Afterward, Tutu was returned to the wildlife park for recovery. Veterinarians expect the surgical wound to heal within 10 to 15 days.