A German company has produced contact lenses for animals, including lions, giraffes, tigers and bears, who suffer from cataracts¹.

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 severely² blurry³ vision), an Australia nature park (a blind kangaroo) and a Romanian zoo (a visually impaired⁴ lioness).

Special lenses that absorb UV rays can also be used to help horses afflicted⁵ with "head shaker syndrome⁶", an excruciating and ultimately life-threatening ailment⁷.

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 turnover⁸ of around £2m last year.