Lion with earache gets VIP treatment at London Zoo

How do you treat a lion with an earache?

Well 13-year-old Bhanu had to have his ears cleaned by a team of vets for just that.

The endangered Asiatic lion has suffered with regular ear infections and a big scan last year showed it was because he had an unusually narrow ear canal.

This treatment is part of a long-term medical plan by the vets at London Zoo to keep Bhanu in tip-top shape.

Bhanu had to be temporarily put to sleep for the procedure and health check

Any creature with ears can get an ear infection - and if you've ever had one, you'll know they're not very nice to deal with!

Vets had previously tried to give Bhanu ear drops but they weren't reaching the problem area.

A special camera the size of a pipe-cleaner was gently fed down Bhanu's long ear canal so the vet team could see into his ear.

A camera the size of a pipe cleaner was put into Bhanu's ear

It meant they could clean the whole passage completely and administer the right medication to the right area.

Soon after the procedure, the 174kg feline was back to prowling around his enclosure with lioness Arya.

A team of vets and zookeepers made sure Bhanu was safe and comfortable throughout the procedure

London Zoo Veterinarian Stefan Saverimuttu said the yearly check-ups can help to monitor an animals overall health. He said:

"This is vital for Bhanu, but also for his species; Bhanu is an important member of the European-wide breeding programme for Endangered Asiatic lions, designed to protect a healthy and genetically diverse population in conservation zoos across Europe."