ZOO OPERATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 November 1929, Page 8

ZOO OPERATIONS

CHIMPANZEE WANTS TO FIGHT. LONDON, October 15. Although small operations such as the removal of broken claws or decaying teeth are common events -at the Zoo, the animals are usually fortunate enough to avoid complaints that lead them to the operating table, but during the last few days two quite important operations were performed with great success. One patient was Jack, the wellknown chimpanzee. He was suffering from an abscess, which caused his leg and foot to become highly inflamed, and as bathing the abscess did little good, and he refused to be bandaged, the ape had to go to hospital to have his wound lanced.

For a time he made the operating room a lively place, for as it is difficult to estimate how much anaesthetic can be given in safety to some wild animals, the patient came round from his peaceful sleep just before the operation was started, and challenged his dictors and “nurses” to a fight. However, a later attempt was successful; the abscess whs lanced, and Jack, quickly recovering from the effects of chloroform, sat up and demanded nourishment. He was given brandy-and-milk, and after one or two doses the ape was well enough to remove the bandages and find out what had been done to him. He is now back in his den, but is not on view in the outdoor cage, since the wound is not yet healed, and as Jack will not have it bound up he must lie on clean straw.

The other patient was a monkey who had a fight with his companion and received a nasty wound on his face. He was at once taken to hospital; and after being given an anaesthetic he was stitched up, and within a few days the only souvenir of his fight was a scar.