A SOUTH Devon vet is helping to treat a half-blind elephant.

Duchess, a 39-year-old African elephant at Paignton Zoo, has gone blind in one eye and her vision in the other eye is impaired due to cataracts.

She is presently having eye drops to control the cataracts but could face the possibility of having an operation to remove one if she cannot cope.

Keepers had to train Duchess to co-operate before they could find out what was wrong with her.

A zoo spokesman explained that when keepers began to suspect her vision was deteriorating, they called in veterinary eye specialist Jim Carter from South Devon Referrals, at the recently-established Abbotskerswell Veterinary Centre.

Before Duchess could be examined safely, the keepers had to train her to present her head to the edge of her compound so Jim could look at her, and they now use this habit to administer eye drops which will control the condition long term.

Jim confirmed Duchess had a cataract causing blindness in the right eye and another in the left but she still had some sight.

He is an expert in this field who gives his time to zoos free of charge and comes in at regular intervals to check Duchess's progress.

He said: "Cataracts are operable in humans and in many small animals.

"The surgical correction of this type of problem in an elephant has been done in other countries but as far as I am aware it has not been done in the UK.

"If she went completely blind, we might operate to remove one cataract but if she continues to show no behavioural changes and to cope with her compromised sight, then we will not need to do anything else other than closely monitor the condition."

He said an elephant's eye is about three times the size of a human eye but is small in relation to its body size.

"Training done by the zoo staff has made it very easy to deal with Duchess," he said.

Duchess's condition is not hampering her ability to move or eat, said senior head mammal keeper Julian Chapman.

He said: "In familiar surroundings Duchess copes perfectly well.

"She uses her trunk to touch and she has a good sense of smell. Together they help her to investigate and understand any new objects that are put in the enclosure.

"If you did not know that she was partially sighted you would not be able to tell from her behaviour."

Curator of mammals Neil Bemment said: "We do positive reinforcement training with various species so we can give them routine checks.

"Being able to manoeuvre Duchess with her full cooperation makes everything so much easier for the animal staff."

He said eye problems in elephants are no more common than any other mammal.

He added: "Her welfare and quality of life is paramount. We are a long way off having to take difficult decisions.

"She copes very well where she is now because she knows her territory."