News
Surgery Saves Tambabi The Ape
November 06, 2008, 9:50PM MT
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Procedure never before done on a gorilla!
Procedure never before done on a gorilla!
By Barbara Silverman
Fighting for animal welfare takes on many forms.
The courageous, who by entering puppy mills, factor farms, and other institutions where animal rights are ignored, bring these conditions to the attention of the public and the law-makers.
Then there are the countless voices spreading their messages over and over again about abusive situations, never giving up until the laws change.
And all over the world volunteers spend their time to care for and nurture the abused and the forgotten.
Then there are people who write about the happy and unusual stories. Hoping that their efforts will inspire others to help the less fortunate and, at the same time, show those on the front line that their efforts are bringing results.
But there is another area of animal welfare that plays a major roll. Without proper medical care many of the rescued would never have a chance at a proper life. And today’s doctors are facing situations that five years ago would never have occurred.
At the end of October a never-before operation, by Vet Sue Thornton, saved the life of a fish click here , and now the life of Tambabi the gorilla was saved when she developed hyperparathyroidism.
The neck surgery required removing two parathyroid glands. While common in humans, this type of operation had never been done on an ape. Human specialist Richard Collins, a NHS surgeon, rose to the occasion. Thanks to him, and Vet Jane Hoppe who assisted, Tambabi lived to rejoin her family that includes two offspring, the oldest of which is eight.
It is people like Richard and Sue that keep this very important medical stage of animal welfare moving forward. Their courage to try something new, and different, is an inspiration to all who care about the various species that inhabit this earth. Encouraging others to step up to help those who cannot speak.
For more details on this story and view photos please
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Photo of a male silverback gorilla from wikipedia.org