Panther Gets Treatment At New Zoo Hospital

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TAMPA, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) — A Panther suffering from gunshot wounds is being treated at a Tampa Zoo's newest facility making it their first patient.

The 7,000-square-foot veterinary hospital  is at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa.

Zoo officials said they're treating the 2-year-old male at the new facility. It will treat more than 1,000 animals at the zoo and serve as a resource for state and federal wildlife professionals.

The panther, nicknamed Uno, was rescued in October by biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after someone reported seeing the cat cross a road. Between the shotgun blasts rupturing his right and an infection in his left eye, Uno was left clinically blind.

The loss of his eyesight means Uno will not be returned to the wild. Officials are still working to determine his long-term care.

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