Kendi, a 27-year-old white rhino at Disney's Animal Kingdom, has regained sight in her right eye after a rare cataract-removal surgery planned by Disney animal-care teams and University of Florida veterinary specialists.
Keepers noticed cloudiness in Kendi's right eye during daily care. Veterinarians later identified cataracts, a condition that can lead to blindness without treatment.
The surgery took place in the rhino barn after several years of preparation. Kendi had been trained to accept voluntary eye drops up to four times a day, a detail that mattered during both surgery prep and recovery.
Kendi's Cataract Surgery at Animal Kingdom
Disney veterinarian Dr. Betsy worked with University of Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Caryn Plummer on the procedure. The teams adapted cataract-surgery techniques for one of the world's largest land mammals, then monitored Kendi through a custom recovery plan.
Disney costuming also built a protective eye mask for Kendi. The custom piece protected the healing eye while still allowing the animal-care team to continue post-operative eye drops.
Kendi is now back on the savanna. The veterinary teams plan to share the surgical technique so other rhino care teams can learn from the case.
Sources and image: Disney Parks Blog and the official Disney Parks X video.