Elephant fitted with contact lenses

Animals and contact lenses aren’t a new combination, but and Amsterdam elephant is one of the largest animals ever fitted with a contact lens in Europe.

Win Thida suffered a nasty scratch on her cornea and the eye was becoming seriously damaged every time her eyelids rubbed over the open wound. Her keepers tried treating her with artificial tears and lubricating gels but without success.

A specialist vet was called in and suggested an supersized contact lens (about 8 times the size of a human one). Insertion wasn’t easy and Win Thida had to be slightly sedated but the plan seems to be working.

At Cameron Optometry, in humans we do exactly the same thing to treat abrasions. First you see whether simple lubrication will allow the eye to heal but failing that a special bandage contact lens is used to act like a plaster and protect the cornea while it heals. Call us if you think you might need our help.