A three-legged puma named Nigel has won over the internet with his determination and new lease of life after having his front leg amputated. Nigel's keepers posted a video of the happy puma exploring his enclosure for the first time after his life-changing surgery.
Nigel's left front leg was removed because it was causing him lots of pain due to his acute arthritis, meaning he could not move around easily. The big cat clearly felt better after his surgery as the video shows him jumping up steps, stretching and generally enjoying life.
In the viral TikTok, a keeper says: "Here he is about a week post-op, you can see his scars healing really nicely. Honestly our biggest issue with Nigel through this whole this was that we couldn't get him to stay still for long enough."
"Which is obviously a really good thing as he was showing he didn't have any pain anymore," she added. Nigel can be seen tackling the new stairs which allow him up to his sleeping area without any fear or concern, which the keeper shares is good because they weren't sure how he would feel about them.
The wildlife park rangers "kitted out" the entirety of his bedroom with soft edges and bump-proofing so "his stitches wouldn't get caught on anything" if he did knock into it. Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, which is near Boston, England, think Nigel has adapted so quickly because he wasn't using his left leg much anyway due to the pain.
Nigel is recovering quickly according to the TikTok, which has amassed 1.9 million views, and the keeper says they can "absolutely tell a difference" with the big cat - "He is so much happier," she added.
Comments flooded the video, with one user saying: "Nigel is a very good boy and 10/10 would cuddle." Another added: "Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! THE ATTEMPT TO STRETCH BOTH FRONT LEGS".
Previous videos show the puma to have a friendly nature and a good temperament, which only adds to his celebrity status on social media. One user said: "Pls [sic] tell him I'm very proud of him", to which the park replied: "We will!!!"
The surgery took place on September 22, 2022, and the charity has been updating fans on his journey throughout the process. He is now two months healed and the update shows more recent footage of Nigel rolling in grass and standing up with ease, although his scar is still very visible.
In the comments, the keepers wrote: "Before coming to this decision we tried every drug, every remedy, every therapy and nothing eased his pain. We were left with this option, to remove the leg affecting him, or to put him to sleep. Nigel is a very happy, playful, energetic cat and we could not justify putting him down due to one painful leg.
"He is 1000x happier, signed off by the vets and professors and we are so happy that he’s happy, pain free and living his absolute best life. He is middle aged so still has 10+ years of life yet."
Lincolnshire Wildlife Park's website also says that Nigel's eye sight is diminishing which prompted moving him into a new enclosure "after a couple of near misses with the pool".
As the park is a charity, all Nigel's surgeries and care are funded through their JustGiving page as well as visitors to the site. Nigel's surgery was expensive and nearly £5,000 was donated by fans of the big cat to support the much needed amputation.
