No dog’s life for elderly animals in Singapore Zoo

This photograph taken on September 20, 2017 shows the Wildlife Reserves Singapore medical team checking on Kima the cheetah at the Singapore Zoo. -AFP

SINGAPORE: Kima the cheetah lies unconscious on an operating table while blood samples are taken and a monitor beeps in the background, being treated not for the results of a savage attack, but for the ravages of old age.

As with humans, animal populations in developed countries are living longer, putting a strain on healthcare resources, with experts warning animal enclosures in Asia are ill-equipped to handle the burden.