患有白内障的狮子、长颈鹿、老虎和熊等动物们不用再忍受眼前黑暗的痛苦了，德国一家公司最近专为它们研制出了一款隐形眼镜。该公司兽医部负责人表示，对动物来说，白内障就意味着失明。而由于动物寿命相对较短，失明会让它们丧失更多的生活体验。虽然此项定制服务及后续的检查费用高达几千英镑，但对于饱受眼疾折磨的动物和它们的主人来说，这笔花费显然是值得的。

A German company has produced contact lenses for animals, including lions, giraffes, tigers and bears, who suffer from cataracts.

A German company has produced contact lenses for animals, including lions, giraffes, tigers and bears, who suffer from cataracts.

S & V Technologies, founded by Bavarian chemist and entrepreneur Christine Kreiner, have created the acrylic intraocular lenses which are custom made to fit each animal.

"Cataracts generally means blindness for animals, unlike for humans," said the head of the company's veterinary division, Ingeborg Fromberg.

"And because animals have short lifespans, it means losing quality of life in a greater share of that life."

Since its launch in 2008, the firm has fielded calls from Sea World in San Diego (a sea lion who had trouble performing his tricks due to severely blurry vision), an Australia nature park (a blind kangaroo) and a Romanian zoo (a visually impaired lioness).

Special lenses that absorb UV rays can also be used to help horses afflicted with "head shaker syndrome", an excruciating and ultimately life-threatening ailment.

Although the expense of such an operation and subsequent check-ups can run into the thousands of pounds, the procedure is often worth it for animals that have gone blind – and for their owners.

S & V posted turnover of around £2m last year.