Tasmanian devil shows new lease of life after world-first hip replacement at RVC

The first Tasmanian devil in the world to undergo a hip replacement has been given the tick of approval by vets at his home in a Christchurch zoo.

Three-year-old Talei had a skip in his step as he trotted around his enclosure and showed off his pain-free walk to Orana Wildlife Park visitors on Thursday, all thanks to the hip replacement operation he had in July.

Tasmanian devils are native to Australia where they are classified as endangered, mainly due to a rare contagious face cancer called devil facial tumour disease, which has swept through the wild population.

Orana’s exotic species manager Rachael Mason said Talei was a middle-aged devil – despite being just 3 – and had been suffering from a deteriorating hip joint, causing severe pain and lameness.

“X-rays revealed a grossly deformed hip joint which carried a poor long-term prognosis for Talei. Ongoing pain medication would not effectively manage his condition, thereby compromising his life expectancy.”

Rangiora Vet Centre’s Ben Davidson, who treats Orana Park's animals, said the damage to Talei’s joint was severe – the outer layer of cartilage had eroded away, meaning his joint was essentially bone rubbing on bone.

“After consulting with our specialist surgeon, Dr Warrick Bruce, it was agreed that the best solution for Talei would be a full hip replacement, giving back a fully active and pain free life.”

Bruce, one of the only New Zealand surgeons experienced in animal hip replacement surgery, had to source special implants from the United States.

The operation happened at Rangiora Vet Centre, and went off without a hitch, Davidson said.

“The difference between what he was before and now is completely different,” he said.

“He's just a bright, happy devil.”

The surgery could have significant implications for the management of endangered species, he said.

“Talei has proven that this is a viable option and a fantastic alternative to long term pain relief or euthanasia.

The success of Talei’s operation was a sign that “if it’s OK for domestic animals then it’s certainly going to be OK for wildlife”.

Mason said Talei had been a “fabulous patient” and she could not be happier with how he had recovered from his surgery.

Before his operation, Talei barely moved from his bed box due to the pain he was in and was facing a bleak future, but his new hip had given him a “new lease of life”.

“Since being transferred from our hospital room back into his exhibit, we have tracked his overnight movements with night vision cameras and know that he is investigating his habitat, climbing structures and is behaving like a perfectly healthy devil.

“This operation has dramatically enhanced his quality of life.”

Talei was one of four devils transferred to Orana Wildlife Park from Devils@Cradle in 2019 as part of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Programme.