Operation on the edge of the wild. When caring gives a lynx a chance to live
On May 28, the special correspondent of the CPC branch contacted the press service of Shakarim University. The request was that forestry employees had discovered a wounded lynx that had been hit on the Semey-Pavlodar highway. Having stumbled across an emaciated wild animal, they tried to find a clinic where they could provide medical assistance, but the specialized clinics in Semey, where they went, refused to treat her.
Dean of the Research School of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture Nurgul Yesengulova responded promptly by contacting forestry staff. As it turned out, they could not even imagine that they could seek help from Shakarim University, where the Aesculap veterinary clinic is located, whose specialists independently transported the lynx.
On the morning of May 29, Nurgul Yesengulova commented on the condition of the lynx: “On May 28, we contacted forestry employees who picked up the lynx. They brought me to the department, did a full examination and initial diagnosis. Serious injuries and fractures were recorded. In addition, she was kept for a long time without treatment due to certain circumstances. Considering the condition of the animal, a decision was made on the need for in-depth diagnostics and its further treatment in a specialized clinic in Ust-Kamenogorsk, where there are conditions for keeping wild predators and performing complex surgical procedures.” They met halfway: they took on complex diagnostics, surgery and further rehabilitation of the animal. This is a predator, and special conditions are required for it.
Professionalism and interregional cooperation
The professionalism of the team at the Department of Veterinary Medicine deserves special attention. In the shortest possible time, a team was assembled under the leadership of senior teacher Olga Zaikovskaya, and the necessary documentation and logistics were organized. Thanks to established cooperation with the veterinary clinic in Ust-Kamenogorsk, which has modern conditions for keeping wild animals, including safety barriers, it was possible to ensure the transportation of the lynx for high-tech surgery and subsequent rehabilitation.
Joint responsibility: university, society and nature
The story of the wounded lynx has become a convincing example of how the efforts of science, civil society and environmental structures come together at a critical moment. The involvement of Shakarim University teachers and clinicians, the initiative of media representatives, the quick response of forestry employees and the support of caring volunteers showed that when it comes to protecting life, boundaries between professions disappear.
The university acted not just as an educational institution, but as a core of social responsibility and humanism, where knowledge, empathy and action become a single force.
Video of the initial examination of the lynx at the Shakarim University Aesculap clinic and interviews with veterinarians is available at the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=fITOVuQGp7c4iNhV&v=A-rKseOvOfM&feature=youtu.be