CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Metro Richmond Zoo performed leg surgery on its 9-year-old cheetah, Bo, earlier this month. Zookeepers noticed the cheetah’s rear left leg was injured and x-rays showed a fractured heel bone from an unknown injury.

Dr. Amy Gifford-Gara, a veterinary surgeon at BluePearl in Richmond, performed the surgery on Feb. 2. Vet tech Amy Hatcher and surgery assistant Tori Lane helped Gifford-Gara with the procedure. Zoo veterinarians Dr. Cheryl Antonucci, Dr. Kiley Cameron and Emma Enea prepared Bo for surgery. 

Gifford-Gara screwed two metal plates into the cheetah’s leg and stitched the wound. The plates will hold the bone in place and help the fracture heal quickly. The vets gave Bo another x-ray to ensure that the surgery was successful.

After surgery, Bo was moved back into the zoo’s Cheetah Conservation Center, where he lives with his “cheetah companion,” Bear. 

  • Bo, a 9-year-old male cheetah lives at Metro Richmond Zoo's Cheetah Conservation Center.
    Bo the cheetah is “recovering well” and “enjoying life” after leg surgery earlier this month. (Photo Courtesy: Richmond Metro Zoo)
  • A sedated cheetah receives leg surgery on Feb. 2, 2023.
    A veterinary staff member uses a stephoscope on Bo the Cheetah. (Photo Courtesy: Metro Richmond Zoo)
  • Staff prepare Bo for leg surgery, which will help him recover from a fractured heel.
    Staff member shaves and cleans Bo’s leg. (Photo courtesy: Metro Richmond Zoo)
  • Veterinary staff prepare Bo the Cheetah for leg surgery.
    Zoo veterinarians prepare Bo the Cheetah for leg surgery. (Photo Courtesy: Metro Richmond Zoo)
  • Veterinary staff surround Bo the Cheetah and prepare him for leg surgery.
    Medical staff work together to hold Bo’s leg in place (Photo Courtesy: Metro Richmond Zoo)
  • Veterinary staff pose over Bo the Cheetah, who received a successful leg surgery on Feb. 2, 2023.
    Staff describe Bo the Cheetah as the “perfect patient” and say that his leg surgery went well. (Photo Courtesy: Metro Richmond Zoo)
  • The six veterinary experts who worked on Bo's leg surgery pose for a photo.
    Metro Richmond Zoo says they are grateful to medical professionals for performing surgery on Bo the cheetah after a leg injury. (Photo Courtesy: Metro Richmond Zoo)

According to veterinary professionals, Bo’s procedure went well and he is recovering. Metro Richmond Zoo officials said they are grateful for Dr. Gifford Gara and the medical professionals who assisted with Bo’s surgery.