My Life with Carl McAuliffe: I operate on lions and other animals in Fota

Head of Riverview Vets in Ballincollig, Carl McAuliffe describes some complicated and challenging surgeries during his career

Vet Carl McAuliffe: You are stitching up a lion's wounds the same way you would on a cat or dog. Picture: Larry Cummins

Whether I am tending to the wounds of a lion or performing hand reconstruction surgery on a primate, every veterinary case I deal with is as fascinating as it is gratifying.

As head of Riverview Vets trauma clinic in Ballincollig, I have been lucky enough to work on some highly complicated and challenging surgeries. My colleague Pat O’Doherty and I are proud to be the official vets for Fota Wildlife Park as well as the Garda dog unit in Munster and the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.