The sad fate of a Malayan tiger named 'Girl' has touched many German hearts and created awareness about the possible extinction of the species in Malaysia.

But 'Girl' has also caught the public attention in Germany for another reason, she suffers from severe arthritis in her right hip, necessitating its replacement with a prosthetic hip.

In effect the eight-year-old tigress from Malaysia, whose present home is the Halle Zoo in the East German state of Saxony-Anhalt, has become the world’s first tigress to get this artificial limb.

'Girl', which had been suffering from painful arthritis in her right hip since spring last year recently went through a complex surgery performed by medical experts from the University of Leipzig.

A representative of the Veterinary Medicine Faculty of the University of Leipzig told Bernama in a telephone conversation that 'Girl' received the prosthetic hip that had originally been designed for dogs, with some modifications.

Indeed, the three-hour operation presented a challenge especially when the animal’s heart stopped beating, creating concern among the team of vets attending on her.

However, quick presence of mind and swift action by Michaele Alef, the anaesthetist, saved the animal.

'Girl', who is back in the Halle Zoo, is recovering in a separate enclosure, away from the prying eyes of visitors and under close watch of medical experts and zoo caretakers who say that the next six weeks will be crucial for the healing process.

Though Dr Peter Boettcher, one of the medical team member that performed the surgery, is satisfied with the condition of the ‘patient', this is also the time when the hip dislocation risk is highest.

    

Endangered species

    

Female Malayan tigers can live up to 20 years. Because Malayan tigers are considered an endangered species, there has been great public interest in Germany in 'Girl's' recovery.

This has also, unconsciously, generated considerable public interest in Malaysia’s bountiful wildlife, an interest which even experts of Tourism Malaysia have been unable to evoke with their marketing and public relations strategies.

    

'Girl’s' hip-replacement surgical procedure is expensive, as officials confirmed. However, because the Malayan tiger is an endangered species – it is estimated that there are only 500 such tigers left in the wild - the authorities did not have any second thought in footing the bill for the expensive life-saving surgery.

The artificial hip which 'Girl' received, was originally designed by Pierre Montavon, a professor at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, in cooperation with the Swiss company Kyon.