A sweet Lion cub at the Lincoln Park Zoo returns to his enclosure after a successful, unprecedented spinal surgery.
On April 23, 2024, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago shared an update on the Lion cub named Lomelok. Here's what happened.
The Lincoln Zoo posted an update along with a few photos to Facebook, and it's great news for the Lion cub.
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"After successful reintroductions to Pesho, Sidai and Pilipili in their indoor space, Lomelok’s care and veterinary teams have made the decision to allow intermittent yard access for all four youngsters starting today," the update read.
While Lomelok is back with his littermates, it's still important that he rest as much as he can.
"Lomelok will continue to need rest days as he builds his endurance," the zoo's notice explained. "So you will not always see the coalition of boys outside as his brothers may stay with him indoors as company."
As he continues to heal, Lomelok will continue to be closely monitored by the veterinary and care teams.
Fans were thrilled with the update, and many left comments and well wishes for Lomelok as he takes his next step in his journey.
"Awesome news!! Thank y'all at Lincoln Park Zoo for all the amazing work you do" one fan wrote.
"I was so excited when I saw all of them on the webcam," added another.
"Handsome brothers!" wrote another. "I love that Lomelok got to spend time with all three of his brothers. Thank you for the updates and doing an awesome job with Lomelok."
Lomelok's Spinal Surgery Was Successful
On March 5, 2024, the Lincoln Park Zoo shared an update that the planned spinal surgery for the one-year-old cub went as planned.
"When Lomelok began to walk at a few weeks of age in early 2023, the animal care team observed mobility issues, and the cub had radiographs taken," the zoo explained in a release.
After undergoing some tests, the Lion was diagnosed with "a narrowing of the channels that carry nerves from the spine out to his legs, also known as stenosis." The cub was born with this condition.
He was given medication to help with swelling and pain, but when an MRI found a slipped disc, in addition to the stenosis, paired with increased health decline, the decision was made to have him undergo surgery to address his slipped disc. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the surgery has never been documented in a Lion cub around Lomelock's age, which "made the stakes much higher."
“It truly took a massive collaboration to complete this procedure, and we’re grateful to MedVet Chicago for collaborating with us on it,” Dr. Lester E. Fisher Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Kathryn Gamble shared.
“Surgery was as successful as we could have hoped and now we turn our focus to the long road to recovery ahead of Lomelok.”
We're so glad Lomelok is doing so well!
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