How Do You Do Eye Surgery on a Bengal Tiger?

Very carefully, of course. Thanks to intrepid vets, a beloved tiger in Australia can now see her food again.

Indira is a bit of a local celebrity: She grew up on Warner Brother’s Australian movie lot, and her movie credits include “Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid,” “George of the Jungle 2,” and a slew of television shows and commercials. Now 16, Indira lives in quiet retirement with other big cats at the Zambi Wildlife Retreat in Sydney. She remains a splendid beast.

Last year, Donna Wilson, Zambi's manager, noticed that Indira was eating less of her food, apparently because she couldn’t see it. She bumped into things. Other cats began to pester her.

Whittaker, who operates at the Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, conducted an unusual arm’s-length eye exam. “She’s on one side of the fence and

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